Distorted Minds
by Cheating Death
Summary: Her lavender eyes slowly opened, her vision blurry and distorted for a few moments as she tried to look around. It was then that she realized that she was suspended a few inches off the ground, her wrists cuffed in cold, metal shackles that hung from the ceiling. NaruHina. Rated M for violence, swearing, and lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, after** **not being around for quite awhile I'm finally back! Yay, it took me long enough to start a new story. Anyway, it is NaruHina of course, because that's literally my current obsession right now. That and chocolate Reese's ice cream. No, I don't share in case you're wonderi** **ng.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.  
**

 **I follow the anime, not the manga, so there might be references from filler episodes. Just throwing it out there.**

 **Warning: Story contains violence/torture, swearing, smut/lemons, and additional adult content. I got some inspiration from Elfen Lied and Deadman Wonderland in a few aspects.**

 **This story will be rather long, probably around 20-ish chapters, but I'll attempt to update every two weeks or so. I don't want to rush it, so I'll be taking my time with this story. I will be releasing a few random one-shots over the next few months as well.**

 _ **Distorted Minds  
**_

 _Chapter 1_

"Well done on completing your mission," Kakashi remarked from behind his desk, a half dozen scrolls lined up in front of him.

Naruto let out a sigh. "It was only a simple message delivery. I wish I could've done a mission that was a bit more exciting than that."

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, ever since the war ended, there have been a much lower number of dangerous missions. With the Five Nations uniting, there have been far less missions that would be considered even a C-rank. They are not completely gone, but the number has dwindled considerably. Although it's more boring for you, it's actually a good thing."

"I guess," the nineteen year-old blond muttered. He supposed that he couldn't complain that things had never been more peaceful. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but yearn for something a that wasn't quite so...dull. Delivery messages on a constant basis grew boring astoundingly quick. "Well, if anything remotely interesting comes up, let me know first."

The silver-haired Hokage smiled, though his mask hid it. "Will do. It's not just you, by the way. Everyone else has been deployed on similar missions as you just did. However..." He paused for a moment, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "I did send Hinata, Kiba and Shino on a B-rank mission two days ago. I needed them to track something down, and I knew that if anyone could get to the bottom of things, it was them."

"Bottom of what?" Naruto asked, growing even more bewildered. "Why didn't you have any of us help them out? Sounds way more important than a bunch of message deliveries."

"Actually, those messages contain information that the Hidden Leaf Village and the other villages are exchanging. We decided that it would be best to send only a few sensory shinobi rather than larger squads due to how little information we have. Over the past several weeks, seven ninjas have disappeared without a trace. We can't seem to find anything that ties these missing shinobi together, though. They are from different villages with seemingly nothing in common. The other nations had noticed these disappearances as well, and have deployed their own teams to help track down the missing people. I was hoping that the former Team 8 would have some sort of success, but we won't know until they return-"

"Hokage-sama!" Shizune burst into the room, noticeably anxious. "I beg your pardon, Hokage-sama, but this is urgent!"

Kakashi rose from his seat, his eyes wide. "What happened?"

"Kiba and Shino were found badly beaten about two miles away from the village. Akamaru was found unconscious as well, and they were immediately taken to the hospital," she reported. "They're alive, but they're in pretty rough shape."

Before Kakashi could speak, Naruto spoke up in a panicked voice. "What about Hinata? Wasn't she with them?"

"The Anbu have been dispatched to investigate, but as of right now, there has been no sign of Hinata anywhere. It seems that whoever attacked Kiba and Shino took Hinata with them."

"What!?" Naruto yelled, horrified. "They took her?"

"We don't know much yet, as the Anbu are currently investigating. With any luck they'll be able to find some clues as to what happened to her," the woman spoke, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Tsunade-sama is thankfully in the village, and she is treating Shino and Kiba as we speak. We're hoping that they can give us some information once they wake up."

"I see," Kakashi remarked in a low, somber voice. "I wonder if it has anything to do with the other disappearances."

Naruto whirled around to face Kakashi again. "Do you think that Hinata was targeted?"

"It's too soon to say, but it's not unlikely," Kakashi replied with a grave undertone.

"I'm going out the find her," the blond Jinchuriki stated firmly, his blue eyes narrowing. "I'll find her and bring her back, and then I'm going after whoever did this."

"Finding Hinata is our number one priority, so I will dispatch several teams to set out and search for her. I will also send word to the other Kage, so they will know to look for her in addition to the other missing shinobi," Kakashi added.

Shizune nodded in agreement. "A message will be relayed to Hiashi, and I'm sure the Hyuga clan will send out a search party as well. Sakura and the others should be returning from their missions soon as well, so they will be sent out upon their return."

"In the meantime, I'm going out to look for Hinata myself. Where were Kiba and Shino found exactly?" Naruto asked.

"About two miles away from the Hidden Leaf Village's gate, heading towards the Sand Village. They and Akamaru were found by some of the other Leaf shinobi returning from their own mission," Shizune responded.

"I'll begin the preparations for Hinata's search, and Naruto, I want you to head out to that area immediately," Kakashi told him. "Report back anything that you find suspicious or something that may be a clue. Unfortunately, Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru are temporarily out of commission, but the Aburame and Izunaka clans will assist in locating her."

"Alright. Send the others to help as soon as they come back." With that, Naruto hurried out of the office, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Someone took Hinata. So far none of the other missing shinobi had been located, and that didn't bode well with him. He growled and increased his brisk pace, practically running out of the building to head towards the village's gate.

xxxxXXXxxx

Hinata groaned softly, slowly regaining consciousness as she felt a dull throbbing in her head. What happened? She vaguely remembered watching Kiba and Shino getting attacked before blacking out herself. Her lavender eyes slowly opened, her vision blurry and distorted for a few moments as she tried to look around. It was then that she realized that she was suspended a few inches off the ground, her wrists cuffed in cold, metal shackles that hung from the ceiling. Blinking rapidly to adjust her vision, she looked around to try to make out the features of the poorly-lit room that she was confined in. The room was completely bare of anything furnishings, save for a small wooden table pressed up against the brick wall. The floor and ceiling looked to be made of cement, with no windows and only a single door that was closed tightly. Squinting, Hinata could make out about six sets of shackles adorning the walls, as well as what seemed to be metal collars. Taking in the room's sinister features, Hinata felt her blood run cold as she tried futilely to escape from her restraints. Her wrists were already painfully bruised from being suspended from the ceiling, and attempting to free herself only resulted in more discomfort.

"Where am I?" she murmured to herself quietly, not even realizing that she had spoken aloud. As her eyes adjusted even further, she made out what appeared to be a variety of tools hanging from several hooks on the walls. Hinata's heart skipped a beat when her eyes scanned over a long handsaw, with what appeared to be dried blood on the blade. She swallowed and pulled at her bounds with a newfound terror, a small whimpering noise coming from her throat as she fruitlessly tried to escape. Trying to remain calm, she swung her legs upward and grabbed hold of the chains of her shackles with her ankles, flipping herself upside down. From the new angle, Hinata attempted to free herself from the cuffs, not wanting to accept that she would need the key or a lock pick of some sort. She had neither. Frustrated, she lowered herself back down so that she was once again hanging by her wrists.

From outside the closed door, Hinata could make out the voices of at least two people talking to one another. She was about to activate her Byakugan before the door suddenly burst open with a loud clatter as it hit the wall on impact. Not used to the sudden brightness, Hinata tore her eyes away from the doorway and fused them shut.

"Tch, is this really the best that you could do?" A young woman with a shrill voice complained.

Squinting, Hinata looked up to see that two men and a woman had entered the room. The door was closed partially to help with the blinding light, and it was then that Hinata could make out their features. The female who had spoken appeared to be not much older than Hinata herself. Her frizzy, rust-colored hair was tied into two pigtails on either side of her head. She wore a fitted maroon t-shirt, beige shorts, and knee-high boots. The girl glowered at Hinata with her brown eyes, here arms crossed in front of her in clear disgust.

"No need to be so rude, Reiko," the younger of the two men remarked with a small smile. "In fact, I'd say that this is our best yet. Plus, she's actually cute." The male looked to be in his early twenties, with smooth black hair and piercing green eyes that seemed made Hinata uncomfortable as he stared at her with a smirk. He was handsome, but there was something sinister about him as he continued to gaze at the captive girl. He wore a plain black t-shirt that seemed to cling to his muscular torso, and dark blue pants with a pair of black sandals.

"Oh, shut up, Mikoto," Reiko snapped as she rolled her eyes. "What the hell do you know?"

The other male appeared to be in late 40's, with graying brown hair and a short goatee on his chin. Unlike the other two, he wore a white long sleeved coat over his clothing, which consisted of simple gray pants and a dark green shirt. He was built much smaller than Mikoto, but he was just as unsettling as he walked over to Hinata with a wide, fake smile on his face.

"Oi, Kusanagi-san, can you please tell Reiko to calm down already? She's beginning to get on my nerves," Mikoto remarked to the man in the coat.

Reiko snarled at him. "You wanna fucking go!?Because I swear, I will-"

"Enough," Kusanagi interrupted. "Both of you. Now is not the time to be bickering. It is rude to act in such a manner in front of a guest."

"Guest?" Reiko remarked with a disgusted snort. "She's hanging from the damn ceiling like a butchered animal. I don't think she fits the criteria of a 'guest'."

"Regardless, I'm in no mood to hear you two argue," Kusanagi responded, before turning his attention back to Hinata. "Welcome, Hyuga-san. I apologize for the rough treatment, but it was necessary."

Hinata managed to find her voice, albeit shaky. "Who a-are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"Well, you see, Hyuga-san, you were chosen for a very specific reason," the older male told her, his smile unwavering. "I have selected you take part in an experiment that I have been attempting to perfect for several years now."

The indigo-haired female paled a bit. "Experiment? What do you mean by that?"

Kusanagi let out an exasperated sigh, surprised that the other two had remained quiet as he spoke. "I am convinced that as shinobi, we can only improve so much over time. Sure, training will bring about the desired results, but sometimes it's simply not enough."

Hinata stared at him with disbelief. What exactly was he talking about?

"Anyway, I have created a drug that is meant to enhance shinobi and their abilities to such a degree that they would never be able to achieve on their own. I have it mostly perfected, but there are still a few kinks to work out," he added with a small laugh. "Unfortunately, the other seven test subjects died during the experiment."

Other seven? Were those the missing shinobi that she and her teammates had been searching for? Her heart sank at the realization, and she gazed at the man with apprehension as he continued.

"Since you come from a strong bloodline, I figured that you'd be more resilient than any of the others that we've worked on so far . Who knows, with any luck, the drug could enhance your sight even further. Wouldn't that be amazing?" Kusanagi remarked excitedly. "This drug could change the world, and enhance ninjas like never before. Not only does it enhance both speed and stamina, but it raises chakra levels immensely."

"What h-happened t-to the others?" Hinata desperately tried to keep her stutter under control, but it was nearly impossible give her situation.

This time it was Reiko who spoke up with a boastful tone. "Two of them were destroyed by their own chakra levels escalating too high for their bodies to handle. So they exploded basically," she added with a laugh.

"One of them committed suicide by repeatedly banging his head against the wall until his skull cracked," Mikoto chimed in, smirking.

"A-and the other four?" Hinata managed to murmur, her body trembling.

Kusanagi scratched the back of his neck. "Well, the way this drug works is that once it enters your system, it doesn't quite work right away. Not on it's own at least. There needs to be a catalyst for it to properly work inside the subject's body or else it has no effect. And in this particular case, that catalyst happens to come in the form of pain."

There was silence for several seconds while Hinata tried to process what he said. "What does that mean? What do you plan to do?"

"This drug links directly into a person's psyche. Before the drug can work properly, the subject must first be broken both physically and mentally. The human body has certain reactions to different levels of pain," the older man explained. "Some people tolerate pain better than others. The adrenaline that courses through the body as a result of fear, paranoia, and desperation is the catalyst that brings out the full benefits of the drug. It can take anywhere from several days to possibly weeks. All of our other subjects perished in less than a week, and the other four you were curious about died as a result of the injuries that were inflicted onto them to activate those pain sensors. However, as I said, you come from a strong bloodline, so I'm sure that you will tolerate the test better than anyone else that we had previously experimented on."

Mikoto snickered and stepped closer to her. "We were lucky that you happened to be the first Hyuga that we came across. Your cousin would've made an interesting subject, but he's dead. Plus your father is too old and your sister is too young. You, on the other hand," he reached out, cupping her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him, "are perfect."

Hinata stared at the young man, too afraid to speak as his green eyes seemed to pierce into her lavender ones.

Reiko rolled her eyes and huffed. "Oh, please..."

"I agree with Mikoto," Kusanagi added cheerfully. "And I have the utmost confidence in you, Hyuga-san. I know that you will fare much better than the others did. And when this whole thing is done, just think about how much more powerful you will be. You will be able to show your clan, and everyone else how strong you've become."

Hinata shook her head, trying to wrench away from Mikoto's touch. "I-I don't want t-to do this. Please...just let me go," she whimpered, already knowing that it was a pointless request. To her relief, the young man released his hold on her.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere," Reiko taunted. "Unless the experiment is a success or you die before it's complete, you will remain here until further notice. I wonder just how much torture you can endure...guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Hinata felt numb all over, her mind having difficulties processing everything that was going on. Her blood ran cold through her veins, and she was vaguely aware that her heart was racing with anxiety. "What...what happened to my friends?" she asked quietly, her face cast downward and her long silky hair covering her face like a soft curtain.

"We didn't kill them if that's what you're worried about," Mikoto remarked. "Granted, they're probably hospitalized by now, but we weren't aiming to kill them. We just needed to make sure they didn't interfere with our plans to capture you."

"Anyway," Kusanagi spoke up with the same cheerful tone, "I will be letting you down soon, as I think it's unnecessary to keep you shackled from the ceiling like that. Let me say this though." He suddenly grabbed a handful of Hinata's hair and pulled, causing her to cry out and look up at him with wide, horrified eyes. "This facility was built underground specifically so that it would be more difficult to locate. Not only that, but I placed several barriers in the surrounding areas so that not only can chakra not be detected, but even those with the Byakugan can not find it. If you try to fight back and escape, I am not above temporarily crippling you just to make sure you can't walk or run. Do I make myself clear?" The calm tone he'd been speaking in had turned low and threatening. "Do I?" He repeated himself sharply, tightening his hold on her.

"Yes!" Hinata practically yelled, tears burning her eyes as he finally released her.

"Good," he replied with the fake smile from earlier. "Anyway, Mikoto will let you down and I'll have Reiko bring you something else to wear," he added, gesturing at her mission clothes. "Those just aren't suitable for experiments. I'll see you later, Hyuga-san."

With that, the man left the room, leaving her alone with Mikoto and Reiko. Hinata hissed in pain as the young man released her wrists from the cuffs, which were now ringed with bruises. She sank to the floor on her knees while Reiko muttered something about being right back before exiting the room as well.

"Relax, Hina-chan," Mikoto remarked as he squatted down in front of her, putting his hand behind her head. "I hope you enjoy this as much as I know that I will. And since Kusanagi wants to start this soon, I think I'll take the initiative and get things started."

Surprised, Hinata looked at him questioningly before suddenly feeling a syringe plunging through the back of her neck. She gasped as he injected the drug into her, holding onto her so that she couldn't move away. Once he emptied its contents, he pulled the needle out and released his hold on her. Almost immediately, Hinata could feel a burning pain behind her neck where the needle had stabbed her, quickly coursing through her body. She clamped her hand over the painful spot, gritting her teeth as the rest of her body was overcome with an intense agony. Whatever was in that drug burned almost like an acid, and it took everything in Hinata not to scream. Moments later, the pain subsided, much to her relief.

Reiko returned soon after with a thin white tank top, short black shorts, and plain black sandals just as the pain in Hinata's body began to subside. "Hurry up and change into this," she snapped, practically throwing the clothing at her. "Take off your bra, too." With that, she grabbed Mikoto's wrist and dragged him out of the room before rudely slamming the door shut. "And you don't need to watch, you fucking pervert!" She said loudly enough for Hinata to hear her through the closed door.

Shaking, Hinata began to remove her fitted lavender blouse as silent tears ran down her face. She was scared, wondering just what exactly they were going to do to her. She thought about Kiba and Shino, hoping that they had been found and brought to the hospital. Just as she unclipped her bra, her thoughts went to a certain blond ninja. ' _I wonder if Naruto-kun knows',_ she thought to herself as she pulled the loose-fitting tank top over her naked chest. With an anxious sigh, she finished changing and left her discarded clothing folded into a neat pile on the floor. She felt nauseous, and her heart was pounding with terrified anticipation. Her hand reached back to where she'd been injected, wincing at its tenderness. She wondered what exactly was in the drug, but whatever it was, it had left a warm sensation in her blood stream.

 **And that wraps up the first chapter. Sorry that it was boring but the next one will have a lot more going on. I tried really hard not to fuck up on this story and keep going back to make sure I'm not making any mistakes with plot holes and such. On that note, please review and I will update within 2 weeks or so.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, here is the second chapter! I actually hit my two-week deadline. Holy shit.  
**

 **Also, to anyone wondering about how graphic this story will be, here is what to expect.**

 **1\. There will be no rape. I don't like writing rape scenes (even though I have) and don't want to add anything like that for this particular story. Mild molestation is possible, but minimum.**

 **2\. Gore factor will be kept mostly moderate, as I don't want to scare off readers with an over-the-top bloodbath. Any scenes that may be gory will involve characters that deserve to die horrible painful deaths anyway. As far as Hinata goes, her scenes are not going to be overly bloody or disturbing. I like her and I'm not trying to kill her :)**

 _ **Distorted Minds  
**_

 _Chapter 2_

Hinata waited nervously for Reiko to return, her body trembling as her mind raced with panicked thoughts. Her mission clothes were folded into a neat pile a few feet away from where she sat. She hugged her knees to her chest, shivering from both the cold and her terror. The shorts that she was given fit her well enough, as did the sandals. The white tank top, however, was very loose-fitting over her small frame, and exposed the sides of her well-endowed chest, much to her humiliation.

She was surprised that Reiko hadn't burst through the door yet. Not that she was complaining. Regardless, it wouldn't be long before they returned, and the thought of it made Hinata's heart flip-flop. She had never been in a situation like this before, and she wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. They had threatened her to deter her from trying to escape, but she couldn't just wait around and let them do what they pleased. Nevertheless, she had no idea how big this place was or how many people there were outside her door. Until she had a little more information, she couldn't just recklessly attempt an escape. It was possible suicide, and Hinata wasn't ready to take such a drastic approach. ' _But they're going to experiment on me',_ she reminded herself with dismay. They were planning to torture her. Her lavender eyes glanced over at the bloodstained tools that were hanging from the walls. She didn't have enough time to come up with a plan that she could implement that would actually work. There was no time. Hinata attempted to calm herself by thinking about rational points of the situation. If they had gone through the trouble of specifically obtaining a Hyuga, they wouldn't be so careless. They wouldn't want to accidentally kill her, and it was doubtful that they would inflict permanent, serious wounds. If nothing else, they wouldn't chop off any limbs. The thought did little to make her feel better.

The door suddenly swung open, causing Hinata to jump slightly, her terrified gaze locked onto Mikoto, who stood in the doorway with a smirk on his face.

"That looks good on you," he remarked, snickering when the embarrassed eighteen year-old tried to cover her chest by crossing her arms in front of herself. "Anyway, are you ready to go?"

"Go where?" she asked, too afraid to stand up.

Mikoto simply chuckled. "You'll see. Now get up."

Hinata hesitated, her body refusing to move. A moment later, she found herself being hauled up by her wrist and she winced in pain, struggling in Mikoto's grasp. Desperate, she struck him directly in the center of his chest, sending him backwards out of the room and against the wall behind him. Furious, he rushed towards Hinata, his hand quickly wrapping around her throat. She hit him a second time, landing a blow in his stomach. However, the back of her head sharply hit the wall that Mikoto had slammed her into. He coughed up a mouth full of blood from the intense hit, his fingers tightening around her neck. Hinata tried to wrench out of his hold, delivering another powerful blow into his torso.

"Fuck!" He yelled, releasing her as he stumbled back and grabbed his chest. His face was twisted into a pained grimace, and he looked at her with sheer rage in his green eyes. "You're going to regret that," he spoke in an eerily calm voice.

Hinata prepared to assault him again, on the defense as her Byakugan activated. She had originally decided to wait on making her attempt to escape, but her panic has caused her to attack. If she was going to get injured anyway, she may as well put up a fight. It was her only chance. However, just as she was about to lunge at him, she felt a sudden jolt in her chest, right where her heart was. Hinata's eyes widened in shock, feeling her chakra rapidly dissipating seconds later at an alarming rate. ' _What's happening?'_ She worriedly though to herself as her body weakened, her legs giving out so that she fell to her knees. A hard kick to her ribs sent her onto her back with a cry of pain, and she was once again brutally yanked up by her right arm.

"No!" She exclaimed, the first metal cuff closing around her right wrist. "Let me go!" Hinata cried in frustration, desperately trying to escape from his hold as he grabbed her left arm. She tried to fight back, but with her chakra gone so quickly, it left her feeling powerless. Her left wrist was secured in the other cuff a moment later, restraining her completely. She had no idea what had just happened. Was it the effects of the drug that she'd been injected with?

"You know what, I'm not even mad," Mikoto remarked with a chuckled, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "I mean, I really wasn't expecting you to fight back like that, but that was pretty exciting. I can tell that you're going to make this whole thing a lot more interesting."

"Is she ready yet?" Reiko demanded as she suddenly appeared in the doorway.

It was then that Hinata noticed what the red-haired girl was holding, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, so you decided on that thing again, huh?" Mikoto mused as Reiko entered the room and shut the door behind her. "Don't you get tired of it?"

She smirked cruelly as she approached Hinata. "Nope. It's my favorite."

Hinata stared at her in shock, her lavender eyes wide with fear. They were actually serious about this. She shuddered and tore her gaze away from the pair in front of her.

"Are you ready?" Reiko cheerfully asked, moving around Hinata so that she was now standing behind her. The indigo-haired girl did not respond, which seemed to irritate the redhead. "Hey, I asked you a question, bitch. Are you fucking ready?"

"This is insane," Hinata murmured, glancing over her shoulder. "Do you really believe that what you're trying to attempt will actually be successful? According to you, everyone that you've experimented on has died. It won't be any different with me. So why are you doing this?"

Reiko snickered, rubbing the back of her neck. "Ya see, I really don't believe that this shit will work either. I honestly think it's a bunch of crap. But my job is to torture and inflict pain onto others, which is the most exciting sensation in the world. So even though I work with that crazy old man, I'm only it for personal pleasure."

Hinata looked away with disgust, refusing to speak any further. There was nothing that she could say to such a depraved individual. Moments later, she felt the sharp crack of the whip against her back, the thin fabric of the tank top doing little to soften the blow. She winced but did not emit any sound; she was not going to give them that satisfaction.

"I guess you're going to have to work for it, Reiko," Mikoto quipped with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped, then turned her attention back to Hinata. "If you're trying to act tough, it's not going to work, so don't even bother." She struck her a second time across her back in the opposite direction.

Hinata gritted her teeth in pain and kept her gaze downward. Yet once again, she remained silent through the ordeal. Doing so resulted in a series of harsh whips smacking mercilessly across her back and bare shoulders. It took everything in Hinata not to scream from the fiery welts that formed on her soft, delicate skin.

"Damn it!" Reiko stopped striking her, seething with rage from the younger girl's defiance. "I was being nice and let you keep your shirt on. But if you're really going to pull this, then fine with me." With that she pulled a kunai out of her weapon's pouch and swiftly sliced through the loose fabric that obstructed Hinata's body. "Hold still!"

"Stop it!" Hinata cried out, her face turning red as the tattered article fell to the floor in a torn up heap. Not only was she terrified, but she was humiliated on top of it.

"Aww, don't be shy," Mikoto remarked with a laugh. "You've got a nice body. And I'm pretty sure that Reiko hates you solely on the fact that you have huge tits-"

"Shut the hell up!" Reiko viciously cut him off, taking her frustration out on the restrained young woman. With nothing to cushion the blows, Hinata's already reddened skin felt the sharpness much more each time. She hissed and groaned from the repeated assault, keeping her head down so that her long hair hid her face as she tried to endure the pain.

Mikoto sighed and walked over to them, taking the whip from the red-haired girl. "You really suck at this, you know. If you want to hear a scream, you have to do it like this."

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Hinata felt the leather slice across her skin with an intensity that caused her to gasp in shock. The excruciating pain that soon followed was too much for her to handle and she let out an anguished scream. She looked up a bit and turned her head in the direction of the nearby wall. To her horror, she saw a fresh splatter of blood painted onto the wall that hadn't been there minutes ago. The warm trickle down her back confirmed her suspicions, and she felt tears sting her eyes.

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto frantically searched around the spot where Kiba and the others had been attacked. He couldn't sense Hinata's chakra, and there was nothing that indicated her whereabouts. He groaned in frustration and combed through the surrounding area, desperately looking for his indigo-haired friend.

"Hinata!" He called out. "Hinata!" He doubted that she would hear him, let alone call out to him, but he had to at least try. Hours had already passed, and by now several other shinobi were actively searching for her as well. Naruto had met up with Sakura and Sai earlier, and together the three of them attempted to track the missing girl.

"Hinata!" Sakura yelled, jumping through the trees as she looked from side to side. Sai flew overhead on one of his ink birds, scanning the area intently for any sign of Hinata.

Naruto kept moving at a brisk pace, concentrating as hard as he could to detect her chakra. If she was in close enough proximity, he should be able to sense it. But he hadn't picked up on her chakra at all since she had gone missing. That left him with two possibilities; the first was that Hinata was too far away for him to detect her chakra. He didn't even want to think about the much more grim second option.

"There's no sign of her whatsoever," Sakura spoke up, running alongside of him. "It's just like the scenario with the other missing shinobi. No chakra, no scent, nothing. We've still yet to track any of them down, and it's likely that whoever took them probably took Hiinata as well."

"Have Kiba and Shino woken up yet?" The jinchuriki questioned, increasing his speed a bit.

The pinkette kept up with him, trying her hardest to pick up her missing friend's chakra. "Shino hasn't woken up yet, but he is recovering fine. Kiba, on the other hand, regained consciousness right before I left to join up with you and Sai. Sorry, I forgot to mention it to you when we met up. I'm just worried about Hinata so my head's not working right."

"Did he say anything about the attack?" Naruto leapt up several branches to the top of one of the tallest trees in his sight, intently surveying the area.

Sakura landed nearby on an adjacent tree branch. "He said that they were ambushed by six ninjas, but all of their faces were concealed behind masks. Even with Akamaru, they were outnumbered and they had difficulties taking them all on at once. Shino was knocked out first, and then Kiba said that he was hit on the side of his head by a rock or something. Hinata was still fighting them off by the time he lost consciousness. So he's not quite sure what happened to her, but he's assuming that they probably knocked her out as well soon after and took her with them."

"Shit," he hissed, running a hand through his short blond hair. "Where the hell did they take her?"

"I don't know, but Kakashi-sensei has sent out several sensory ninjas to help with the. Not only that, but the Hyuga, Izunaka, and Aburame clans have all dispatched search parties as well. So there are plenty of people out there looking, not to mention the other villages. As of now, locating everyone that has gone missing has become the top mission. I'm sure we'll find her."

Naruto smirked and nodded in agreement. "Right. Now let's keep going."

"Actually, Naruto, it's getting dark out so we'd better head back. We're not sensory ninjas, so once the light is gone, we have nothing else to go by. We can't even detect Hinata's chakra, so let's go home and get some rest. We won't be any help to her if we're falling down exhausted," she said.

"Yeah, but..." He trailed off, reluctant to give up. His stomach growled, and he realized that he hadn't eaten for several hours.

Sakura smirked with mild amusement just as Sai joined them, a curt shake of his head to indicate that he'd had no luck either. "Well, I'll buy you a bowl of ramen from Ichiraku's. You just gotta promise to buy one for Hinata after we find her," she told him.

"Heh, I will," Naruto remarked with a smile, though it was visibly strained. The three of them began to head back towards the village, him trailing behind a bit. It didn't feel right to him, giving up for the night. He didn't want to stop searching for Hinata, knowing that she was in a dangerous situation. However, like Sakura had said, they'd be no use if they were tired and weak from over-doing it. Nevertheless, he regretfully looked over his shoulder as he followed the other two through the trees. _'Please be okay, Hinata. If you're not, I'll never forgive myself...'_

xxxXXXxxx

Hinata had dozed off after several hours of being chained by her wrists in that dreary, musky room, only jolting awake by the loud slam of the door opening and banging into the wall. She yelped softly in surprised and looked up with see a bemused Mikoto in the doorway. Her heart skipped a beat as he approached her, and she braced herself for whatever assault he had in store for her. To her surprise, he simply unlocked the cuff from around her left wrist, letting her numb arm fall. It remained limply at her side, her legs struggling to hold herself up as he released her other wrist from its restraint. Mikoto then lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Kusanagi-san said that we did enough for today, and he wants you to get some actual rest. Reiko was supposed to let you down over two hours ago, but apparently she decided not to," he scoffed as he carried her out of the room.

With her arms momentarily useless, there was little she could do to escape from his hold. Hinata attempted to look around as he carried her down a short corridor, her eyes scanning everything that she could take in. In stark contrast to the dreary room she'd been confined in, the walls, ceiling, and floor were all a bright, clean white. Almost too white, where it was practically blinding. Several new, metal doors lined up along the corridor on both sides, the steel gleaming from the brightness of the hall. Were all of those rooms used strictly for torturing people? Or were they labs that were used to study their findings? Or maybe they stored the remains on all of victims they had brutalized inside of those rooms. Hinata shuddered at the thought of corpses and skeletons behind those ominous doors, and she quickly discarded the disturbing images that began to slither through her mind. Mikoto walked to the end of the hall, carelessly opening the door that led out of the area. He passed through a plainly painted room with soft, earthy colors. Various tans and browns decorated the otherwise vacant room that was void of any furnishings. It seemed to be nothing more than a waiting area, and a small cell was in the very corner of it all. Hinata could vaguely make out a small cot on the floor before being brought into a bathroom of some sort. She heard Reiko's shrill voice before she even laid eyes on the girl.

"Took you long enough," she snapped at Mikoto as he set Hinata back down.

He kept his hand clasped the back of her neck, as if to warn her that he would snap it if she tried anything. "Me? You're the one who was supposed to fucking do this shit, not me," he snarled right back. "It's not my fault that you decided not to do what Kusanagi-san told you to do."

Reiko rolled her eyes. "He's a fucking lunatic, so who the hell cares?"

As they bickered with one another, Hinata glanced over to where a large tub that was filled with steaming hot water was waiting. Other than a metal sink and a toilet, there were no other features to the bathroom. A single light hung from the ceiling, which illuminated the same whiteness as the hallway she'd been brought through. A single white towel hung from a bar that was bolted onto the wall, and she noticed a pair of shorts and a tank top. She couldn't help but think it was strange for her captors to provide her with clean clothes in a situation like this. Still, it was better than being naked so she wasn't going to complain.

Moments later, Mikoto left the bathroom and closed the door behind him, leaving Hinata alone with Reiko once again.

"Get undressed and get in the tub," the redhead demanded, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she watched Hinata with a bored expression. "And don't screw around or I'll rip those clothes off myself."

Hinata bristled at the statement, then went to do as she was told. Her arms had regained a little feeling, and she managed to remove the few articles of clothing that were actually on her, as her shirt had been destroyed hours ago. Leaving the shorts and her panties on the floor next to the black sandals, she self-consciously hugged her naked body as Reiko continued to stare at her.

"Get in the tub," the older girl snapped at her. "Hurry up!"

Wincing from her sharp tone, Hinata turned to climb into the tub, gingerly lowering herself into water that she immediately noticed was far too hot. Normally she would've been able to tolerate the heat, but the welts on her back destroyed any chances of that. As she slowly eased herself down, Reiko grew impatient and rushed forward. She firmly grabbed hold of Hinata's bare shoulders and shoved her down into the water completely, causing Hinata to scream in pain as the scalding water burned her already burning back. It felt like acid against her wounds, and she writhed in Reiko's grip, trying to break free.

"Get the fuck in!" Reiko exclaimed, pushing back down so that she was submerged to her neck. "You have three minutes to clean up before I drag you out of there."

Tears stung Hinata's eyes as she quickly washed her hair, whimpering softly as the hot water continued to sear at her open welts. She gritted her teeth, holding back the cries that so desperately wanted to escape. Minutes later she was out of the tub, her wet hair soaking through the back of the thin white tank top she now wore. The light gray shorts left most of her legs exposed, and the shirt was just as loose and lightweight as the previous one. It did little to actually cover her torso, causing her to shiver. Even after getting out of the water, her back still felt as though it was on fire.

"Go that way," Reiko instructed her, the tip of a kunai digging against the back of Hinata's neck. "I'll kill you if you try anything."

Hinata was led back into the room that she and Mikoto had passed through, where the single cell was located. Moments later, she was locked inside of the cell and alone as Reiko stormed out of the room. There was a thin sheet on top of the small cot that rested directly on the hard, cold floor. Keeping her sandals on so as to not directly touch the dirty, frigid floor, she sat on the cot with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She hugged her knees to her chest, burying her face as quiet sobs began to rack her body.

 **Okay, and that ends the second chapter. I hope it wasn't too graphic, and that it at least somewhat seems interesting. I'm trying to get both Naruto's and Hinata's perspective, so sorry if the chapters seem a little long. As I said, I didn't feel like screwing through this story carelessly. Anyway, the next chapter will be out within two weeks, but I'm still hoping to finish it sooner. Please review :3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally got another chapter finished, but it's a little shorter than normal. Oh, well. At least I finished it, right?  
**

 _ **Distorted Minds  
**_

 _Chapter 3_

Hinata jolted in surprise at the sound of her cell being opened, her eyes wide with fear as she looked up in apprehensive anticipation. To her astonishment, it was neither Mikoto nor Reiko, or even Kusanagi. Instead, a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties stepped in. Her wavy strawberry blond hair cascaded freely past her shoulders, and she adjusted her glasses for a moment, her pale blue eyes on Hinata. She wore a white lab coat over a peach-colored blouse and a beige skirt that ended mid-calf. It was then that Hinata noticed white cup in the woman's grip.

"I came here to bring this to you," the woman told her in a soft voice, approaching Hinata and offering it to her.

Hinata hesitated for a moment before gingerly taking the styrofoam cup, noticing the steaming noodles inside. She stared at the food with uncertainty, reluctant to eat anything that these people provided her.

"It's not poisoned. If Kusanagi-sama went through all the trouble of capturing you, he wouldn't do something as ridiculous as poisoning you. If he wanted you dead, he would've already killed you." The woman pulled a small canteen of water out of one of the large pockets on her lab coat, handing it to Hinata . "I also was sent here to provide medical jutsu." With that, she moved and knelt down behind her, placing her hands right in front of Hinata's back once she moved the damp, dark hair out of the way.

Hinata watched her from over her shoulder, confusion evident on her face as the woman began to heal her welts. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, only to receive no answer. With a sigh, she slowly began to eat the food that she had been given, realizing how drained she felt from not eating after several hours. The noodles warmed her slightly, though there was a chill deep in her bones that didn't seem to go away. None of this put her mind at ease, and she nervously took a swig of water from the canteen, feeling the burning in her back subsiding ever-so-slightly. If nothing else, the medical jutsu took the edge off of the searing pain that crisscrossed her back.

The young woman stopped a moment later, and what she said next caused Hinata's heart to skip a beat. "I healed you a little only because Kusanagi-sama doesn't want you to die too early in the experiment."

"I'm not in any danger of dying," Hinata murmured, now feeling nauseous. She wasn't sure if it was the food or her own anxiety.

"No...not yet." The blonde pulled a syringe from her other pocket and and slipped it into the back of Hinata's exposed neck with one swift motion.

 _'No!'_ Hinata mentally screamed at herself for letting her guard down, knowing that it was already too late as she jerked away from the needle.

"Now," the woman began as she stood back up, watching as Hinata grabbed at the spot where she'd been injected. "It's time for you to go to sleep."

Unlike the first time, which had strictly been the drug that would supposedly make her stronger, this had been added with some sort of sedative. Within seconds, Hinata's head was spinning and she felt herself topple over onto her side on the cot, her body shuddering as she clenched her lavender eyes shut. It burned just as bad as it had before, but the pain soon subsided as she began to drift out of consciousness. She vaguely felt the sheet being placed over her quivering body just before she completely blacked out.

xxxXXXxxx

No matter how hard Naruto tried, he couldn't fall asleep as he continued to toss and turn in his bed. They hadn't found Hinata, and it was tearing him up inside. He couldn't stop thinking about her, and knowing that she was in a highly dangerous situation kept him awake with anxiety.

"I swear, if they hurt her..." He hissed as he sat up and looked out the nearby window, his eyes locking onto the moon. He couldn't help but be reminded of Hinata's pale, lavender eyes; the same eyes that had always gazed at him with a shy admiration. Hinata had been one of the scarce few that had never held contempt for him or felt as though he was a monster. He remembered her warm smile, softly encouraging him to never give up, and the blush that she always seemed to have on her face whenever he got close to her. Naruto smiled, the image popping up in his mind. His smile quickly vanished, however, and he sighed in frustration. He knew that he would've been distraught if any of his other friends had gone missing, but this was hitting much more deeply than he realized was possible. All he wanted was to see her face blush cutely as she nervously murmured his name in her soft, sweet voice.

"I'm going to kill them for this." His voice was low and threatening, and although he was normally against killing his enemies, he would make an exception. Beating up Kiba and Shino had been bad enough, but taking Hinata was what sealed their fate.

xxxXXXxxx

Hinata moaned softly, her head throbbing as she slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes slowly opened into a squint, the whiteness of the room nearly blinding, and she tried to roll onto her side to get away from the light that hung overhead. It was then that she realized she was strapped down onto a table of some sort, with her wrists and ankles were secure with leather straps. She was hooked up to a machine with an IV, and she noticed the plastic bag of bright red fluid that was slowly filling up a few feet away from where she lay. With panic jolting her awake, she discovered that her blood was being drawn through the IV and into the bag. She tugged at her restraints, desperate to free herself as her blood continued to leave her body. It looked as though she'd already lost close to a pint, and it was still going. There was no one else in that barren, white room, but she noticed that one of the walls appeared to be a mirror. She knew that she was being observed through a two-way mirror, which made it even more unsettling.

Her blood continued to fill up the bag, now surpassing the one pint mark. Hinata attempted to break free, quickly noticing her surprising lack of chakra. She was already dizzy and light-headed, and losing so much blood at once was beginning to take her toll. The young woman helplessly watched as the bag ballooned further with the crimson fluid. They were taking too much. She felt sick as the blood loss began to take its toll on her petite body. It was now up another quarter and she couldn't help but think that she might just bleed to death rather than from their actual experiment. A moment later, Kusanagi entered the room with a big smile on his face.

"Good morning, Hyuga-san. I hope you don't mind, but I needed to draw a blood sample so that I can study how you are reacting to the drug. Feel any different yet?" He asked with a laugh, switching off the machine. "Probably not, as it's still too early. But I can dream, can I?" He removed the needle from her arm and looked at the bag with satisfaction.

A sample? That was a bit more than a 'sample'. Although she was somewhat grateful that he had stopped the extraction, she probably would've been better off simply passing out from the blood loss.

"While I study this, Mikoto is going to take over for awhile," he informed her just as the younger male entered the room. "I'll check back in with you later."

Once Kusanagi was gone, Mikoto approached her with a smirk on his face and went to work by unfastening her restraints. She was too weak and light-headed to struggle, even as Mikoto lifted her up in his arms.

"Are you going to put up a fight like you did yesterday?" He asked her as he carried her out of the room and down the same white corridor that she'd passed through the day before.

Hinata attempted to glare up at him, knowing that he was mocking the fact that she couldn't even stand up, much less fight back. Moments later, he brought her into the dank, musty room they'd used before, reminding Hinata of the whippings. She whimpered in fear at the thought of enduring it again, especially now that her back was still covered in welts. The medical jutsu had merely taken the edge off as far as the pain went, and probably healed her just enough to make sure no infections resulted.

Mikoto kicked the door shut behind him, then set Hinata down near one of the walls. Hinata placed her hand against the wall for support, willing herself not to pass out.

"Anyway, I was told to pick up where we left off. You gave me a good struggle yesterday, so why not entertain me a second time?"

The indigo-haired girl narrowed her eyes. He wanted her to fight him? She could barely stand, and she knew all too well that she was at a severe disadvantage. Nevertheless, she had no choice but to try. There was no other option.

"I must warn you, though," Mikoto remarked as he closed in on her. "I don't plan on going easy on you."

Hinata's Byakugan activated. "I didn't expect you to." She immediately put her hands up to block his attack, grabbing his wrist as she evaded his punch. With her free hand, she slammed her palm directly in the middle of his chest, knocking him backwards. She swayed, grabbing the side of her head as the room spun around her.

Recovering from the blow, Mikoto lunged at her, grabbing her around the throat and shoving her against the wall. The back of her head hit the wall, sending a sharp pain through her skull. Gritting her teeth, Hinata brought her elbow down onto his arm to force him to release her, and she swept her leg behind his to knock him to the ground. Swearing, Mikoto fell to the ground and Hinata jumped on top of him, prepared to hit his chakra points. Another wave of dizziness descended upon Hinata, distracting her long enough for Mikoto to drive his fist into her ribs, knocking her body off of his. He then rose to his feet and delivered a swift kick to the side of her torso a second time.

Hinata coughed up a mouthful of blood as she grabbed her side, grimacing as pain throbbed through the spot. Another kick made contact with her stomach, sending her sprawling on her back. With an amused smile, he pressed his foot down on her chest and began to apply weight to the area. He ground his heel into her body for a few moments before letting up.

"Are you done already?" The young man quipped as he reached down, grabbing her by the neck again. "Because I'm kind of disappointed."

She glowered at him, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth as he squeezed her throat more tightly. If only she hadn't been weakened, then she might actually have a chance against him.

"See, aren't you glad that you get to deal with me instead of Reiko today?" He quipped, watching her with amusement. He then released his hold on her and let her fall to her knees.

The indigo-haired girl glared at him, wiping blood off her mouth with the back of her hand. "It doesn't matter who I deal with," she spoke, her voice just above a whisper. "You're all crazy."

"No, we're scientists," he responded nonchalantly.

Hinata gazed at him in disbelief. "Is that really what you think?"

"Well, Kusanagi-san and Kurome are, technically. Reiko and I aren't scientists, but it's definitely an interesting line of work, I'll tell you that. Anyway, I think I'll take a break, since I don't think Kusanagi-san wants you beaten half to death. But I will do one last thing." With that, he hauled her up again, emitting a scream from her as he did so. He secured her already bruised wrists into the cuffs that hung from the ceiling once again, hoisting her up off the floor. "Alright, I'll see you in a few hours for another round. That drug won't work unless we take the correct measures, so be ready for it." With a sadistic smile, he switched off the single light bulb in the middle of the room and left, closing the door behind him.

Alone in the dark, and suspended from the ceiling by her wrists, Hinata could feel hot tears running down her face. She couldn't help but think about Naruto, wondering if she'd ever see him again. Although she still had hope that she would eventually be found, it was slowly beginning to dwindle.

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto ran a hand through his blond hair with a frustrated growl. "How is it that we can't track Hinata at all? Isn't there anything to pick up on?"

Kiba and Shino had since been released from the hospital, and they had joined Naruto, Sakura, and Sai in the search for their missing friend. Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji were present as well, though so far no one had had any luck.

"I can't pick up her scent," Kiba murmured, one of his eyes still swollen from the attack. "But it's probably because too many hours have passed already..."

"And so far my bugs haven't found anything either," Shino added with a sigh.

Sakura leaned against a tree, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "We had no leads yesterday, and today is no better. No scent, no chakra, nothing."

"So what should we do?" Ino asked.

"Hard to say," Shikamaru remarked. "She could be anywhere, and we have absolutely nothing to go by. I doubt that she's still around this area, but we're supposed to stay in this general vicinity. Remember, the other villages are involved in the search as well. This isn't just about Hinata; it's also about the other missing shinobi."

Naruto scoffed. "Yeah, I know. But Hinata is my main concern right now." He pondered for a moment, before his blue eyes lit up. "Oh! Shino, do you think there is any way we could look for that weird bug again?"

Chouji looked at the jinchuriki with confusion. "Weird bug?"

"Are you referring to the Bikochu bug?" Shino asked Naruto.

The blond nodded excitedly. "Yeah! That's the one."

Kiba rolled his eyes, his hand resting on Akamaru's head. "Sure, because that worked really well last time," he deadpanned.

"Last time?" Sai questioned.

"After Sasuke left the village, Granny gave us one last chance to try to find him," Naruto explained. "There was this bug that supposedly could track anyone down without fail if it smelled their scent."

"Let me explain," Shino calmly interjected. "Just so that you all understand. Every few years, a Bikochu bug lays eggs during a certain breeding season. Once the egg hatches and the bug emerges, it will be drawn to the very first scent it picks up on. For instance, Naruto had brought Sasuke's headband for it to sniff. It is a highly effective way to track someone down, but they are extremely difficult to find in the first place."

Sai looked at Kiba with confusion. "So what happened?"

"Well, we went through all the trouble of finding the damn egg and waited for it to hatch. And when it did, _this_ one," he emphasized, gesturing at Naruto, "decided to fart, and it picked up that scent instead of Sasuke's. So long story short, that mission ended in failure."

"Shut up!" Naruto snapped indignantly. "I didn't _decide_ to fart! It just kind of happened..."

"That sounds like something that Naruto would do," Sai mused aloud to himself with an understanding nod.

The blond gave him a dirty look. "Hey!"

"Eww, can we please change the subject?" Ino whined with disgust.

"Regardless," Shino spoke up again. "It is not the breeding season, so there is no chance of locating a Bikochu egg at this time."

Naruto looked at him solemnly. "Then what else can we do?"

"Just keep looking like we have been," Sakura responded. "We really don't have a choice at this point. Until we find any leads, there's very little to work with."

"It hasn't been quite that long, but they say after 72 hours, the chances of finding the person alive decreases dramatically," Sai stated.

Naruto glared at him, his voice lowered. "What did you just say?"

"I'm saying that if we haven't found her within that time frame, we may have to consider the possibility that we are looking for-"

"Don't you dare say it!" Naruto yelled, taking a threatening step forward.

"-a body," Sai finished, only for the jinchuriki to grab him by the collar.

Naruto was furious. "I told you not to fucking say it!"

"Naruto, calm down!" Sakura exclaimed, dragging him away from Sai with Shikamaru's assistance.

"Sai, you shouldn't say things like that," Ino chastised the raven-haired male. "Think about what you say before you speak. It's too soon to jump to any sort of conclusions."

Sai nodded and looked at Naruto apologetically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sure we'll find Hinata soon. There are lot of people out there looking for her."

Having cooled down a bit, Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And...sorry about that. I just don't want to think about stuff like that..."

"Let's keep searching then," Kiba spoke up. "We're not going to find her by just standing around."

 **Yup, I go by the anime so if I add filler references, that's how I wanted it. Anyway, the next chapter will be out within two weeks, hopefully less.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about the wait. Life seems to give me less than ever to write these damn chapters...but I finished it finally. Hope you like it.  
**

 _ **Distorted Minds  
**_

 _Chapter 4_

"It's been a week! Why the hell haven't we been able to find Hinata!?"

"Naruto, calm down-"

The jinchuriki abuptly cut Kakashi off. "Like hell I'm going to calm down! How is it possible that not a single person has managed to track her down!?"

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his silver hair as he sat behind his desk. "Everyone is making their best efforts to find Hinata, as well as the other missing shinobi. There are still several teams dispatched throughout different regions."

"This is all your fault," Naruto growled, his hand clenched into a fist. "If you hadn't sent her on that mission in the first place, this never would've happened! What the hell were you thinking? Not only that, but you didn't even let anyone else know about what was going on with those missing people!"

"You're right." Kakashi's words seemed to surprise Naruto, as his furious expression had softened a bit. "I don't know what I was thinking, to be honest. Given the strange nature of the disappearances, I didn't want to cause a panic and send out too many ninjas at once. Not until we had more information as to what was going on. Unlike Hinata, all of the other ninjas that have gone missing were alone at the time of their disappearance. As we know, Hinata was with her team, so the nature of her abduction differs than the others. I never imagined that they would be attacked like that, with Hinata abducted as well." The Hokage paused for a moment, his eyes downcast. "I shouldn't have been so careless with how I went about the situation, an as a result of my incompetence, she was taken. I'm truly sorry, Naruto."

Naruto was speechless for a moment, the rest of his anger towards his former sensei dissipating. "No, I'm sorry... It's not your fault that this happened. You did what you thought was best at the time. I don't really have a right to be mad at you, and I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Kakashi looked at him for a moment, stunned. "Regardless, I take full responsibility for Hinata's abduction, and I promise that we will not give up until she is located. There have been no other disappearances since she was taken, as far as we know, but we're still taking precautions for the time being. Teams of six will continued to be dispatched, and we will keep searching for as long as we have to."

Naruto nodded solemnly, then turned to leave. "I'm going back out to look with the others. If you find out anything new, let me know." He didn't wait for a response as he made his way out of the office, closing the door behind him. His back leaned up against it for a few seconds, willing himself not to let his emotions run wild.

Was he really never going to see Hinata again? Naruto swallowed a lump in his throat as he began to walk away from Kakashi's office, his feet feeling like lead. His stomach growled in complaint, but he ignored it. Food was the least of his worries at the moment. Instead, he headed outside, his mind wandering as he walked in the direction of the gates to leave Konoha. He absently reached into his back pocket, his fingers grasping the object. Naruto pulled a photograph out, staring at it intently. The picture had been taken about a month ago, when he had gone out with his friends to celebrate his birthday. Shikamaru had given it to him the other day, thinking that his blond friend may have wanted it.

All of their friends had been included on the shot, but Naruto was fixated on one specific area. He gazed at the picture, his eyes focused at the image of Hinata, and his heart clenched. In the photograph, Naruto had slung an arm around Hinata's shoulders, his face slightly flushed from the sake he had consumed. He was grinning ear-to-ear, leaning against the flustered girl, whom was blushing profusely at the closeness. Naruto paused and stopped in his tracks, staring at the picture intently. He hadn't gotten drunk that night by any means, but the sake had clearly made him at least a little tipsy. His eyes scanned over his indigo-haired friend, a small smile playing on his lips. He remembered that night pretty well, but he hadn't realized that this picture had been taken. Regardless, he was grateful for having it, silently thanking Shikamaru once again. The smile faded and he felt his eyes sting with tears, though he refused to let them spill down his face. Sighing, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and took one last look at the photo. His finger traced along the image of himself with Hinata, and all he could do was stare at her blushing, angelic face. She looked absolutely stunning and he felt another tug on his heart. He wordlessly put the picture away, stuffing it into his back pocket once again as he continued towards the village gates.

Naruto remained silent, barely acknowledging a group of girls asking if he'd like to get some ramen. All he cared about was finding Hinata, and until he located her, he would never stop searching for her.

xxxXXXxxx

"Yes, her chakra levels have improved quite a bit," Kusanagi remarked as he observed Hinata from behind the glass. "It's been steadily increasing over the past few days. None of the other subjects have showed as much improvement as she has."

Kurome glanced over at him. "Should I increase the power?"

"Just a little more," he responded, his eyes never leaving Hinata. "I don't want to accidentally kill her or cause any permanent damage. Not after making this much progress. But for her next dose of the drug, double it."

Hinata was tied down on a table, with her wrists, ankles and waist secured by leather straps. She was in the same blinding white room from when they extracted her blood, and had done so several more times over the past few days. In addition to her body being forcibly restrained, another thick strap across her forehead left her unable to move her head at all. She had an electrode at each temple, where electrical currents were coursing through from the machine Kurome operated. She writhed against her bonds, attempting to move her head as the shocks grew more intense. This particular session was closing in on nearly an hour by now.

"As you see on the monitor, the greater the shock, the more her chakra levels rise," Kusanagi explained to Kurome.

As if to prove his point, Hinata suddenly wrenched her right arm free of its restraint, her body enveloping itself in blue chakra. Her hand clutched onto the strap holding her head down and tore it off as well. With her Byakugan activated, she sat up and yanked her left arm free, breaking the leather strap in the process. Breathing heavily, Hinata reached for one of the electrodes that adhered to temple. She pulled it off her skin, the bright light above the table flickering.

The monitor beeped in a frenzy as Hinata's chakra spiked so drastically, beginning to short out as the level became too much for it to handle. With a low popping noise, the screen went dead.

Kurome watched, wide-eyed as she quickly pressed a button near the monitor, releasing a sleeping agent that traveled through the IV in Hinata's arm. The blue chakra around Hinata increased as her eyes locked onto Kusanagi and Kurome through the two-way mirror. With her Byakugan still activated, she was able to make out their forms behind the safety of the other room. A bulb burst above Hinata's head, though she didn't seem to notice as her gaze remained locked on her captors.

"Kusanagi-sama, what's going on?" Kurome asked nervously as the lights in the observation room began to flicker as well. Static appeared on two of the three screens hooked up to the cameras that watched Hinata within the room, recording everything. Time seemed to slow down as the blond woman gaped with shock while Hinata listlessly tugged the second electrode from her temple. The sleeping agent wasn't working as quickly as she'd anticipated, and she anxiously looked over at Kusanagi, whom had ignored her concerns.

The machine that had administered the electroshock therapy began to malfunction, smoke seeping out from within its mechanical components. Kurome yelped as sparks flew out of the machine, a second bulb exploding above Hinata's head from the ceiling above. The indigo-haired girl was unfazed, her body completely enveloped within the churning blue chakra. The straps that secured her ankles burned away, allowing her to get off the table. Her demeanor was eerily calm, completely different from how she had been before.

"Kusanagi-sama!" Kurome exclaimed, panicking as Hinata's eyes continued to stare into them through the mirror. To her astonishment, the man was grinning ear-to-ear as he watched Hinata. "Why isn't she asleep yet? Kusanagi-sama!" She yelped as the two-way mirror shattered, littering glass all over the floor, and she jumped back. Kurome glanced over at Kusanagi, shocked to see that he had hardly moved a muscle. His eyes were fixated on Hinata, looking directly at her with nothing to separate their view of each other.

"Just wait," he remarked calmly, undeterred by his test subject's stare. His assistant was highly unnerved, however, and she screamed when she heard a loud popping noise from inside the machine. Smoke poured out faster, beginning to fill the room. She hurriedly reached the plug and tore it from the outlet.

Hinata finally broke her gaze, looking down her arm where the IV was inserted. Just as her fingers had a grasp on it, she gasped softly and her eyes widened. Her Byakugan deactivated and the chakra surrounding her body dissipated, the sleeping agent finally setting in. She collapsed onto the floor before she could remove the needle, the single remaining light bulb on the ceiling flickering weakly.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Kusanagi said cheerfully. "I think we can excuse her from any more experiments for the rest of the day. We may have gone a little overboard, and that tranquilizer will have her out for a little while. But first thing in the morning, we will resume the usual regime.

Kurome jotted a note on her clipboard, clearly shaken. Her normally meticulous writing had turned out as a sloppy mess, her hands trembling and barely able to hold the pen. The light bulbs shattering had surprised her. The machine malfunctioning had startled her. However, it was Hinata's icy gaze that had unsettled her the most. Kurome wasn't certain, but she could've sworn that when Hinata had locked eyes with them, a faint smirk graced her lips.

xxxXXXxxx

Hinata awoke several hours later in her cell, lying on the cot with the thin sheet pulled up to her shoulders. Her eyes began to open, but she winced as she felt what seemed like a weak, electrical current coursing through her veins. Her fingers twitched slightly, but her legs felt completely numb. She tried to move them, but she was unable to tell if she had managed or not, as she couldn't seem to feel anything. It was difficult to even turn her head to the side without feeling the the jolts traveling through her body. Her eyes gazed listlessly up at the ceiling, though they weren't actually concentrated on it.

 _'How long has it been?'_ She wondered to herself, staring through the ceiling with half-lidded eyes. Time no longer had meaning on Hinata, as she had no idea just how long it had been since her capture. She didn't know what day it was. She certainly didn't know what time it was. Whether it was day or night was a mystery to her, as she hadn't left her underground prison at all. Memories of the warm sun on her face, or crisp, fresh air gently blowing against her were gradually beginning to fade. Instead, she had grown accustomed to the cold, musty scent of the torture chamber.

Her body was covered with an array of cuts and bruises, courtesy of Reiko and Mikoto. The redhead had been getting particularly sadistic as of late, drawing out their sessions longer than before. Not only that, but the doses of that drug had increased as well, though the burning sensation that they had originally caused no longer affected her. Hinata's body seemed to have gotten used to the serum enough where it no longer caused pain. The bruised area on the back of her neck, however, was just as sore and tender than ever. It seemed that no one could manage inserting the needle without stabbing it into her with a vicious jab. It was almost as if they were too incompetent to do it properly. Either that or they were just horrible people. She decided that it was both.

"How long _has_ it been?" she murmured to herself in a nearly inaudible voice. Maybe it had been a week.

She hadn't seen any other workers in the facility, though she couldn't help but feel as though there were more people than she'd been led to believe. Her Byakugan was distorted somehow, and she was unable to use her vision prowess as she should have been. Kusanagi had clearly put in much thought when it came to the hideaway. He had made sure no one could find the way in, as well as preventing from those inside from finding the way out.

Shino's bugs must've been manipulated somehow into not recognizing the area as important. They would've already had found her, especially the ones that were able to dwell underground. Her chakra was being suppressed and undetectable, and she was unable to even use much of it herself. She had been reduced to a perpetual weakened state, barely able to support her own body recently as the aches and pains piled up.

"I...I wonder what Naruto-kun is doing," she mumbled, speaking to no one in particular. His handsome, grinning face popped through her mind, and a small smile played on Hinata's lips. She would've given anything to hear the sound of his voice, and her smile slowly faded as her heart ached. Not a day had gone by where she hadn't thought of him, and the desperate hope that maybe he would find her. She didn't want to give up, yet as the brutal experiment continued, her hope was gradually diminishing.

 _'I'll get out of here alive. I will.'_ Hinata couldn't help but feel that she was lying to herself, but she quickly pushed those thoughts away. If she gave up, she might as well be dead already.

xxxXXXxxx

Still nothing. Naruto sat on the edge of his bed, gazing listlessly at the floor. The day had ended exactly the same way the previous ones had; there was still not a single trace of Hinata anywhere. She, along with other missing shinobi, were no where to be found. Not a single one had been located.

With a shaky sigh, Naruto ran a hand through his hair. It was killing him not knowing where she was, or what was happening to her. For all he knew, she could already be dead. He stiffened, not wanting to think about that horrible possibility. His hand reached over, grabbing onto the picture he had been staring at before. Shikamaru had sought him out earlier and given him a few additional photos from the day that Naruto had celebrated his birthday with his friends. As much as Naruto appreciated the new collection of pictures, none of them held as much meaning to him as the one he had received first. It was the only picture of him so close to Hinata, who was blushing cutely beside his tipsy form. He noticed how Hinata wasn't blushing in any of the other pictures, when she wasn't standing directly beside him. It was only when he was nearby that she turned red in the face.

 _'Because I...love you.'_

Naruto hated himself for not giving her an answer back then, even though Hinata had never asked, nor expected one from him. She had told him because she had expected to die for him that day. He wondered if she still felt that way about him.

"Of all people...why did it have to be Hinata?" Naruto muttered to himself in a low voice. Was it because she was a Hyuga? Were they after the Byakugan? His stomach churned at the thought of Hinata having her eyes forcibly extracted. However, he could feel something deep in his gut that told him that she was still out there, alive.

 **"What are you going to do if she really is dead?"**

Naruto's eyes narrowed at Kurama's sudden question. "She's not."

 **"You really think so?"** Kurama sounded rather doubtful. **"How can you be so sure?"**

"I just know," the blond growled in response, growing more agitated.

The fox was quiet for a moment. **"If that's what you say, kid."**

Naruto stared at the picture again, several emotions coursing through his brain. He must've looked at it at least a hundred times since he'd received it. This hurt worse than the time Sasuke had left the village. As distraught as Naruto had been during those events, Hinata's disappearance had hit him harder. Sasuke had left Konoha on his own accord. Hinata had not. The amount of fear and anxiety Naruto had was causing his stomach to twist and turn in painful knots. He'd hardly slept since she had been taken, and he had a feeling that tonight he would fare no better.

"I should've gone on that mission with them..." he murmured aloud, mostly to himself, setting the photo on the night stand near his bed. "This is all my fault..."

 **"Knock it off, Naruto. You weren't even back from your own mission before they left for theirs, am I correct? So stop acting like you could've prevented this. You know damn well that being a ninja means that your life is constantly risked. This isn't anything new."** Kurama's patience was beginning to wear thin of Naruto's incessant self-blame. It was getting on his nerves at this point. **  
**

"Yeah, I know that," Naruto muttered. "But still..."

Kurama spoke again, a hint of amusement in his voice. **"You seem to like this girl a lot. More than you're willing to admit to."**

"What the hell do you know?" Naruto demanded, though his cheeks reddened.

 **"Unlike you, I'm not an oblivious idiot,"** the fox deadpanned. **"You are one dense kid."**

The blond was ready to retort with a rude comment but stopped himself. Kurama was right; he was a dense idiot.

 **"I don't blame you,"** Kurama continued with a snicker. **"She tried to save your pathetic ass a few years back."**

"Yeah...and she almost died for it," Naruto mumbled, the memory forever burned in his mind. He took one last look at the picture on the night stand, then flopped down onto his back. He gazed listlessly at the ceiling and he swallowed a lump in his throat.

 **"Get some rest. You're going to need it if you're ever going to find her,"** Kurama remarked one last time.

Naruto rolled onto his side with a sigh and pulled the blankets up over himself. He stared out the window and his eyes fixated on the full moon outside. It reminded him of Hinata's pale, lavender eyes...though it was nowhere near as beautiful.

 **Aaaand that ends this chapter. Now, we're going to get moving with this fucking story because I think it's about time to change the pace. Plus I'm starting to feel like an asshole for what's happening to Hinata...so yeah! Please review and I will try to have the next chapter out within two weeks. Or close to it. And yeah, I underlined this so that the notes didn't get confused for Kurama talking. Then again, you guys aren't complete idiots I assume. I got so annoyed with how long it took me to finish this that I decided not to proofread it a 3rd time. So if you notice any spelling or grammar errors, it is because I am a lazy shit who wanted to post the damn chapter. I will attempt to post the next chapter in roughly two weeks. Please review!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**I finally managed to update, but I'll be honest with you; I'm having some doubts regarding this story. I don't plan on discontinuing it, as I have a thing about not finishing my stories, even if I'm unhappy with how they come out. Especially after how much work and effort I've put into it. That being said, I'm trying my best to avoid plot holes and inconsistencies, and I have most of the details worked out. I already said that it would be a rather long story with at least 20 chapters, and I have outlines of the next 5 chapters outlined already. So I'm not ready to scrap this story, but I do hope that readers are finding it enjoyable (or at least interesting) enough to continue reading. If not, I might slow down to work on other projects and take longer to update this story. I do have 2 other projects in the working stages, so I might distribute some focus onto them in the meantime.  
**

 **Lemon compilation: Yes, I still want to do this, and already have about 6-7 ideas for the story. It is obviously a story with several NaruHina one-shot lemons, and I'm excited to begin those. Eventually I will begin to take requests once I publish the ideas I already have in mind.  
**

 **Untitled: This will be a six-chapter story that focuses on a topic that I've never really tackled before, but would like to try my hand at. Be warned that it will not be everyone's cup of tea, so I advise you read the warnings before reading. I don't want to give away a lot of details, but it is a NaruHina story that deals with sexual experimentation and torment of our favorite lovebirds.  
**

 **As far as writing a sequel to an old story of mine Descent into Darkness, I will probably not be doing it. I don't like any of the ideas I've thought of to continue the story, and decided to just leave it as it is. Not saying that I definitely won't write a sequel, but it is highly unlikely. **

**On that note, please read and review. I will take your reviews into consideration before updating and posting the next chapter of this story.**

 _ **Distorted Minds  
**_

 _Chapter 5_

Hinata's bloodied back rested against the hard wall of the chamber, her body sore and plagued with a perpetual chill that refused to go away. One of the cuffs attached to the ceiling had broken, so instead of restraining her that way, she had been injected with a paralyzing agent and propped against the wall. She couldn't move her body, but she could still feel everything just the same. The cold wall felt almost soothing against her back, easing the searing pain ever-so-slightly. She let out a shaky sigh, trembling as she stared listlessly at the closed door.

"How long has it been now...?" Hinata murmured dully to herself.

The indigo-haired girl had no idea just how much time had passed since her capture. It had been two days since she'd last eaten, though it had been her own volition to make that choice. She also refused any water given to her, hoping that she'd die of dehydration soon. Kusanagi and Kurome had apparently left for a few days, leaving Reiko and Mikoto in charge. Hinata had no idea why the two had taken off so abruptly, but she didn't care. Athough the torment had continued as per usual, she had not been subjected to any more electroshock therapy sessions. It seemed to the silver lining on her grim situation.

Hinata's mind was hazy, and she barely managed to keep her eyes open. She felt weak and light-headed, nauseous to the point where she probably would've vomited if her stomach wasn't already empty. Her back throbbed steadily, and she had a feeling that the welts had most likely become infected. With Kurome absent, there was no way to administer medical jutsu on the affected area. Not that Hinata cared, however. If anything, she hoped that the infection would kill her if the dehydration didn't do the job quick enough. She wished that either Reiko or Mikoto would just kill her and get it over with.

Silent tears ran down Hinata's face, her hands unable to reach up and wipe them away. She was surprised that her body had managed to sit upright for this long without toppling over. Ever since the incident with the electroshock session that had ended with the equipment being destroyed, nothing else had happened. She hadn't been able to harness the vast amount of chakra or utilize it in any manner. If anything, she felt herself becoming weaker and more sick with each passing day. The experiment was evidently failing.

"Please...just kill me already," she murmured barely above a whisper.

Hinata swallowed a lump in her throat, her chest clenching in anguish. Not a day had gone by without her thinking about her blond crush. She had since given up on any hope of ever seeing him again, convinced that she was going to die in the musty underground chamber.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun... I'm not strong enough to do this anymore..." She had never felt so helpless and pathetic, and she sniffled as more tears trickled down her cheeks.

Her headache seemed to intensify and she let out a agonized whimper as it slithered through her skull. Her heart thumped irregularly in her chest and she blinked rapidly for a few seconds to help clear her blurring vision. She desperately wished that she could've seen Naruto one last time, but it was simply not to be. An image of his handsome face flashed through her mind for the billionth time since her abduction.

It wouldn't be long before Reiko returned to begin the next excruciating session, but part of Hinata didn't care. She hoped that this time the redhead would be too careless and accidentally cause her death. Kusanagi had told both her and Mikoto to keep her alive, though it was no secret that Reiko did not like that factor. She made it blatantly obvious that if it were up to her, she would've killed Hinata by now, albeit very slowly and painfully.

Hinata's tears ceased as she let out a long sigh, the room slowly spinning before her glossy lavender eyes. She pictured Naruto's cheerful trademark grin and smiled to herself as the delirium gradually set in.

"Naruto-kun..." her voice trailed off as her eyes began to close. The last of her resolve had finally been broken, and all that was left for her to do was wait for her inevitable death. Maybe she'd purposely provoke Reiko into killing her in a blind rage.

 _'Maybe if I go to sleep, I'll wake up and realize it was all just a bad dream,'_ she thought to herself as her disorientation increased. The room spun a bit faster and her eyes closed for a few seconds before flickering open again. She groaned as another wave of nausea passed through her system, her skin breaking out into a cold sweat. Her body felt frigid but her head felt as though it were on fire as the migraine continued to grow worse.

Hinata could vaguely hear Reiko and Mikoto conversing outside the room, down the corridor, but she couldn't make out the words.

 _'Maybe if I'm lucky, I won't wake up all at'._ That was her final thought before she let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes as darkness overcame her.

Moments later, the heavy door swung open and Reiko entered the room, a small box in her hand. With a smirk she closed the door behind her and sauntered over to the indigo-haired girl.

"Are you ready for the next round?" the redhead taunted, crouching down in front of Hinata. "You're in for a real treat this time. There are over a hundred needles in this box, so let's see how many we can utilize." When Hinata did not respond, Reiko frowned and smacked her across the face. "Hey! Are you listening?"

Hinata had no reaction, her head tilted downwards and her silky long hair concealing part of her face like a curtain.

"Oh, don't tell me that you fucking passed out," Reiko griped. "Wake the hell up!" She struck her again, harder this time. "Listen to me!" The Hyuga remained unresponsive, angering Reiko even further. "I SAID WAKE UP, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" She went to slap her a third time, yet before her hand made contact with the girl's cheek, her wrist was suddenly grabbed mid-air. "What the...?!"

Slowly, Hinata raised her head to meet Reiko's surprised gaze, her lavender eyes void of emotion. Her hand tightly squeezed the redhead's wrist, who attempted to wrench herself free from the unexpected grip.

Struggling against the vice-grip, Reiko hissed. "L-let go! How the hell are you still able to move? We injected you with-". Yet the words died on her lips as Hinata's frightening stare seemed to freeze her blood. It was then that a thin smile crept across Hinata's rosy lips and Reiko let out a piercing scream.

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto stood alone in the middle of the woods, in the same area where Hinata and her team had been attacked. He stared at the ground, his heart heavy as his mind worked in overdrive. It had been two entire weeks. Two weeks. And yet, they were no closer to finding her than they had been on the very first day. Even using Sage Mode yielded no results.

"Damn it!" He thrust his fist against a tree, punching a hole through it as he released a blast of chakra that damaged some of the other trees surrounding the area. "Shit!" He punched it again, this time breaking the trunk in half from the impact.

Naruto ran a hand through his short blond hair, trying to keep his emotions from running wild. Although no one had said it aloud, save for Sai that one time, others were beginning to think that the Hyuga girl was most likely dead. There was no way in hell that Naruto would ever believe she was dead. He couldn't accept that possibility. He _wouldn't_. Not until they recovered her body at least. _'No! Don't think like that!'_

"But where is she?" Naruto mumbled, surveying the area as he sank to the ground. He'd gone off on his own to search for Hinata, and although he'd already checked this spot several times already, he had no clue where else he should look. It seemed that everywhere he went had already been thoroughly combed through. "Hinata...where are you?" He was quiet for several seconds, at a complete loss.

It was then that he suddenly sensed a strong, yet familiar chakra, and he immediately leapt to his feet, his bright blue eyes widening. He looked towards the direction that it seemed to be coming from, and he felt a glimmer of hope as his heart sped up with anticipation.

"Hinata?" Naruto recognized the chakra as definitely belonging to the young woman, though it was more powerful than he'd remembered. Much more. He chose to overlook that last part, brushing it aside. All that mattered was that it was Hinata's. Without wasting another moment, he sped off in the direction that the chakra was radiating from. From what he could tell, it was a few miles away from where he was now.

"Not for long," he said with a smirk as he engulfed himself in orange chakra, rapidly heading towards the destination as fast as he could. Yet even as he hurriedly approached his awaiting friend, Hinata's chakra suddenly plummeted to the point where he could sense only a weak glimmer. ' _Shit!'_ He closed in on the area, darting through the trees at lightning speed, his body a blur from his fast movements. ' _Almost there, almost there...'_

"HINATA!"

Seconds later, Naruto reached a clearing, the cloak of chakra dissipating. Several hundred feet away from where he stood, he could see a womanly form on the ground and he quickly sprinted towards it. "Hinata!" he called out, his excitement growing as he drew closer. He could see her long, indigo hair, and the weak chakra her body was still emitting confirmed his suspicions.

Naruto noticed that she was lying on her right side, her back facing towards him with her hair splayed out on the ground. He was at her side a moment later, and it was then that he realized the severity of her condition. His face paled with horror as his eyes scanned over her brutalized body, barely able to register what he was seeing. Hinata was wearing shorts and a pair of sandals, her torso barely covered with a tattered, loose-fitting shirt. Her torn-up back was a bloodied mess of open welts, the tank top doing little to conceal the damage. A kunai protruded from her left side and her body was covered with an array of cuts and bruises. Her neck and wrists were ringed with bruises as well. Blood was splattered all over her torso, saturating the front of her shirt and staining her skin.

With his eyes burning with tears, Naruto carefully extracted the kunai from her body, his hands shaking as blood seeped from the wound. He quickly stripped his black jacket off and draped it over her to cover up her brutalized back. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Naruto carefully turned her so that she was lying across his lap. His entire body trembled as he closed the jacket around her still body, clumsily zipping it up. He drew her body closer, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"Hinata?" Naruto cradled her in his arms, giving her a light shake. He brought his hand to her cheek and lightly stroked it with his finger. "Please wake up," he begged, his voice cracking. Several emotions rampaged through his mind, clouding his ability to think. He was feeling a mixture of happiness, grief, and rage all rolled into one. Most of all, he was in a stage of shocked disbelief. His hand moved to brush away a splatter of blood near her temple, his finger wiping it away. It was then that he noticed just how hot her forehead was, and he began to panic. Her breathing sounded slow and labored, and her chest rose and fell irregularly.

"Hinata? Can you hear me? Hinata!?" Despite her injuries, her face seemed calm and peaceful, as if she were sleeping. He stroked her dark, silky hair as tears finally began to spill down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry," he whispered mournfully, closing his eyes as he leaned down to rest his cheek against her forehead.

With the sudden realization that he was wasting time, Naruto carefully picked Hinata up, holding her tight against his chest. He had to get her to the hospital, and fast. He enveloped himself with chakra once again and raced back towards Konoha, his heart pounding with anxiety.

As he darted through the trees with lightening fast speed, he looked down at the girl in his arms. "Just hang on, Hinata," he murmured to her. His white t-shirt and pants were blotted with crimson spots. The blond didn't seem to notice, his mind preoccupied with other matters. Although he was grateful that he had found Hinata, alive for that matter, it was hard to feel any sort of happiness. Instead, he felt himself overcome with rage, and the more he looked down at her, the more furious he became. He was vaguely aware of his irises turning from blue to red, practically feeling his blood boil as his fury seemed to grow like wildfire. Growling to himself, he continued towards the village, hurrying to get her to the hospital as quickly as possible. He was now shaking with fury, nearly blinded by it as he carried his dying friend. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and he took a deep breath to keep himself from roaring out as he seethed with anger.

Hinata let out a weak, shaky sigh and seemed to snuggle closer to his chest. Naruto held onto her a bit more tightly and gritted his teeth. _'Who did_ _this? Who was the fucking bastard who did this to her!?'_

 **'Worry about that later',** Kurama spoke up. **'First make sure your friend doesn't die.'** He let out a low, sinister chuckle. **'You can go hunting after that...'**

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto waited outside of the operating room, seated on a worn-out chair. He'd brought Hinata in nearly two hours ago, but there was still no word of her condition. Each time one of the nurses entered or left the room, they were unable to answer the questions he pelted at them. Sakura was inside the room with Shizune, and Tsunade, who had only arrived in the village a few hours prior. As the minutes dragged by, Naruto could only sit and wait. Kakashi had stopped by minutes after Naruto had arrived with Hinata, and Naruto did his best to tell him where he had located her. Due to his panic, he had trouble giving the exact location of where he had found Hinata. The Anbu were currently dispatched to investigate the area, but Naruto didn't care about it at that point in time. Kurama was right; he could worry about those details later. His only concern at the moment was Hinata.

Sakura emerged from the operating room, her hair pulled back and her clothing spotted with blood. Naruto wasted no time in asking her a series of questions.

"Sakura-chan, how is Hinata? Is she going to be okay? What exactly happened to her?" He questioned, his face filled with distress.

"Naruto, I can't really discuss this with you-" she began, only to be interrupted by the blond.

"Please. Please just tell me anything," he begged.

Sakura sighed, then reluctantly led him into an empty room and shut the door behind them. "I'm really not supposed to do this, but since you found her, it's only fair, I suppose. The thing is..."

"What?" Naruto urged when she paused, his heart skipping a beat.

"Her body has suffered a lot of damage," she informed him, her green eyes downcast. "We could see that she was severely beaten just by looking at the bruises, but it goes further than that. Her back was shredded by a whip of some sort, and she has a puncture wound on her left side that we had to patch up. We extracted two needles that were embedded into her right side." Sakura glanced at him and hesitated for a moment before continuing. "But the real problem we're facing isn't the injuries themselves. She's currently in a state of septic shock."

Naruto gaped at her in disbelief, his psyche having difficulties in what she was telling him. "Septic shock? What's that?"

"Well, sepsis is a blood infection that is typically caused by bacteria. It can happen when an infection that is present in one area of the body spreads and enters the bloodstream, which causes a severe systematic problem. There are three stages of sepsis, and the third and most fatal stage is known as septic shock. Hinata's blood pressure is dangerously low, and the infection is causing her organs to slowly shut down. She's dehydrated, so it's making the process even more difficult. We're trying to stabilize her and fight the infection that's coursing throughout her body. We're guessing that it originated from the welts on her back, since that's where the most obvious damage is."

Naruto's face was pale as he tried to make sense of what she was telling him. His mind couldn't process what was being said. "Is...is she going to be okay? What are her chances of surviving?"

Sakura seemed reluctant to answer him for a moment. "Septic shock has a mortality rate of around 50%. Not only that, but we found both a paralyzing agent and an unknown drug in her system, so we're trying to fight off both the infection and flush out whatever that drug is. We sent samples to the lab, but it'll be hours before we get any answers. Maybe even a few days."

"So...there's a 50% percent chance that Hinata will die?" The jinchuriki asked, his voice hollow as his eyes brimmed with despair.

"We're doing everything we can to help her, and Tsunade-sama is here to assist us," she quickly answered, hoping to raise his spirits a little.

Naruto was still having trouble comprehending what she was telling him. "They injected her with something? Why?"

Sakura stiffened at the question, knowing that her answer would upset him more. "We can't say for sure, but..."

"But what?" he questioned, his stomach clenching into a knot.

"It seems as though...she was being tortured over the course of the last two weeks. They purposely avoided any serious permanent damage and none of the wounds themselves are fatal on their own. Well, the ones that didn't get infected, I should say. Tsunade-sama said that it looked like they were healing her with medical jutsu every now and again so that they could prolong everything. It's the infection that's the main problem, but the injuries are making her condition worse."

Naruto was silent for a moment, her words sinking in. He felt himself completely overcome with rage once more, his hands clenching into tight fists. "So you're telling me that she was being tortured this entire time!?"

"Naruto, don't yell," Sakura chastised him in firm voice. "You need to stay calm and-"

"How the hell am I supposed to be calm!?" Naruto roared, his eyes turning red once more. "Look what those bastards did to her! I swear, I'll fucking kill them for-"

"Naruto." The pinkette cut him off. "Getting angry isn't going to help Hinata. If you really want to be helpful, then wait patiently for us to finish up what we need to do and then I'll let you know how everything went. I need to get back in there."

With a sigh of defeat, Naruto followed her, his body numb as he sat back down on the chair outside of the operating room. His eyes returned to their natural blue shade as the wave of fury melted away, and he buried his face in his hands. "Hinata..."

 **Anyway, I hope you found this chapter interesting enough, and the next time I update depends on what people think of it. I will update eventually, but if the reviews find the story lacking, I will work on my other projects in the meantime. Your opinion matters, so please let me know ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I'm back with this next chapter (finally). I appreciate the reviews, and they have given me the motivation and confidence to continue this story as planned, so thank you for taking the time to tell me how you think of it. I apologize for the long wait in between chapters. I'm currently working about 60 hours a week, so finding time to write during the week is nearly impossible and I can only do so during weekends for the most part. I appreciate your patience and I will do what I can to make sure the chapters keep coming.  
**

 **A few people have asked about the sequel to Descent into Darkness, so I will say this; It's not so much I don't want to write the story, but I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to end it. I have a story line and concept all planned out, but finding a way to end it is where it gets complicated. The love triangle between Naruto/Hinata/Hidan is where things become confusing so I'm trying to find a way to end the story that pleases everyone. Obviously I don't want to disappoint anyone by ending it in a way where readers will be unhappy. So if I can figure out an ending that satisfies me, I will begin writing it some point in 2018. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to inbox me. Again, I have a general idea of how the story will go, but deciding on an ending has left me stumped. **

**Also, I was too lazy to proofread this chapter for a third time, so I apologize if I missed any spelling or grammatical errors that I needed to correct. On that note, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 ** _Distorted Minds  
_**

 _Chapter 6_

Naruto sat outside the operating room for what seemed like hours, the minutes sluggishly ticking by as he anxiously waited for any news about Hinata. Before long, his friends had shown up at the hospital, full of questions. Naruto didn't speak much, making it clear that even he didn't know what the hell had happened. The only thing he could tell them was that he had found her alone in the woods, a few miles away from the village; right under their noses the entire time. Hiashi had been given word about his daughter's return, but he had yet to show up. The blond was silent for a long time, nervously staring at the closed door as he waited for Sakura to emerge. He barely acknowledged Shikamaru when he informed him that they would be leaving, but would be back later. Everyone seemed to have the same idea; that it was best to leave Naruto alone and not crowd him.

Eventually the pinkette stepped out into the operating room, and closed the door behind her.

Naruto immediately rose to his feet, his face filled with dread. "How is she?"

"We were able to stabilize her," Sakura informed him. "She's not completely out of the woods yet, but we managed to stop her organs from shutting down. We put her into a medically-induced coma," she added.

"She's in a coma?" Naruto asked in a hollow voice.

"It's actually a good thing," she quickly responded to ease his fear. "We want to keep her asleep until we can heal her a bit more. With all the damage done to her body, it's going to be a painful recovery. Thankfully none of them were fatal, so I suppose you could say she's lucky in that aspect."

Naruto took a step forward. "Can I go in and see her?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not yet. Tsunade-sama and Shizune are still working on her at the moment. But after we run a few more tests I can let you go in."

The jinchuriki sighed and sank back down onto the chair and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want to keep waiting; he wanted to see her now.

The pink-haired girl noticed his dismayed expression. "Just be patient for a little while longer." With that, she returned to the operating room, and closed the door before Naruto was able to see anything.

Soon after, Hiashi and Hanabi arrived at the hospital, though they were only around for a few minutes. Naruto couldn't help but be somewhat annoyed with Hiashi. After two weeks, his daughter had finally been found and he left in less than ten minutes? Regardless, Hiashi had looked genuinely relieved, and even gave Naruto a small nod of gratefulness. A man who had once hated him, now treated him with more respect than Naruto had ever thought possible. After the war, he had gained the respect of everyone who had ever looked down on him, Hiashi included.

Just as Naruto began to doze off, Tsunade walked out of the operating room and looked at him, a serious expression on her face. "We're still not completely finished with our evaluation, but you may go in and see Hinata for a little while. Sakura already told you that she is currently in a medically-induced coma, but there's a chance she may still be subconsciously aware of you. Try not to be too loud. We'll give you about an hour but then we'll need to move her to recovery section," she finished as Shizune and Sakura emerged from the room to give him privacy. "We need to get a room prepared for her, so in the meantime, I'll allow you to stay with her for an hour or so. But we'll have to run some more tests after she's been transported."

Naruto nodded in understanding and wordlessly entered the room, closing the door behind him. Hinata lay very still on a cot, her body cleaned up and bandaged. She was wearing a hospital gown, and a blanket was pulled up to her chest. The bloodied clothing and sheets had been cleared out of the room, leaving no traces behind, and the operating table had been sterilized. Naruto had been given a clean white shirt to replace the bloodstained one that he he'd been wearing, as Sakura had taken his soiled shirt and black jacket to clean them off along with the sheets. They had left a single chair beside the cot, and the blond made his way over in silence.

Naruto sat down on the chair and pulled up closer to the indigo-haired girl, his eyes glued to her. He stared down at her in a way he had never done before, taking in her soft, angelic features. Naruto gingerly reached out to sweep her bangs to the side, his fingertips feeling the silkiness of her dark hair. His fingers traced down to her cheek, warm and soft beneath his touch.

"I'm sorry," he murmured with sorrow. "I'm sorry that I didn't find you sooner..."

Hinata looked so peaceful, and Naruto couldn't get over just how beautiful she looked. Her glossy hair was splayed over the pillow, and a faint smile rested on her soft, rosy lips. Naruto barely registered what he was doing as he traced his thumb lightly against her lower lip. His other hand carefully swept her bangs to the side again and he leaned down closer to her, his face only inches from hers. He wondered how her lips would feel against his... Realizing what he was doing, he quickly sat up, his face turning red. After a few moments, he gently took Hinata's small, delicate hand into his, giving it a light squeeze.

"Hinata," he whispered, gazing down at her as his blush began to fade.

Before he realized it, Naruto's hour was up and it was time for Hinata to be transported, though he was reluctant to leave her side. After a few more tests and some pestering from Naruto's end, he was allowed to join her once again in her new room. It was already too late for any other visitors, but Tsunade had decided to let him stay by Hinata's side. Knowing how Hinata felt about the blond ninja, Tsunade figured that having him around could be beneficial to the injured kunoichi.

Naruto sat beside Hinata all night, only getting up to use the restroom. Sakura brought him a tray of food, knowing that Naruto hadn't eaten since he'd brought Hinata in hours ago. She quietly left it on a side table and gave the jinchuriki a nod and a smile before leaving him alone once more . Naruto picked at the food every now and again, but he kept his attention focused on Hinata, refusing to release his hold on her hand. As the hours passed, Naruto soon dozed off and slumped in his seat, his body exhausted. Even as he slept, he didn't release his grip, his fingers entwined with hers. He'd been told that it could be a few days before Hinata woke up, but that didn't matter to him. He would stay by her side for as long as it took.

xxxXXXxxx

The next few days seemed to drag by as Tsunade and Sakura continued with Hinata's treatment. They had sent several blood samples to the lab to be tested, as Tsunade was curious about the drug that had been injected into the indigo-haired girl. Naruto adamantly refused to leave Hinata's side, only doing so when Tsunade glowered at him threateningly.

"Just be patient for a bit longer," she had told him for what seemed to be the millionth time.

But Naruto didn't want to be patient. Hell, he wasn't a patient person to begin with. He begrudgingly complied with Tsunade's orders to allow the medical nin to do their jobs. By now most of the small injuries on Hinata's body had healed up, and the blood infection had been successfully eradicated from her body. The puncture wound in her side was slowly closing up as well, with a thick pad of gauze over it. Her back had since stopped bleeding, but even with the medical jutsu, it was taking longer to heal than the rest of the body. It was still covered in welts, but they were no longer open and she was treated with antibiotics to ensure that she would not get another infection. A cushion had been placed beneath her back, giving off a gently cooling sensation against her damaged skin to help heal it more quickly. Not only that, but it would reduce the pain factor as well.

Visitors had come and gone, including Hinata's family. Naruto was the only person who did not leave her side, anxiously waiting for her to awake from her comatose state.

"When will she wake up?" Naruto asked Sakura as she checked Hinata's blood pressure.

"Well, this morning Tsunade-sama decided that it is no longer necessary to keep Hinata in a medically induced coma. It could take a few hours, or another day or so, but she'll wake up on her own eventually," she remarked with a smile.

Naruto's blue eyes grew wide as excitement filled his face. "Really?"

Sakura nodded, but her smile faded. "But Naruto, I want you to listen to me for a moment," she said in a serious tone.

The blond male looked at her with a mixture of confusion and worry. "What is it?"

"Tsunade-sama isn't sure what Hinata's state of mind will be like when she wakes up. There is an extremely high possibility that she will suffer from a post-traumatic stress disorder. She might enter a state of shock, and may not be able to tell what is real or not. So use caution with how you go about interacting with her. She could wind up with a panic attack. Or worse."

Naruto nodded solemnly in understanding. Hinata had been through hell, so it would make sense that she could have a difficult time with reality once she woke up.

"But," Sakura continued, gaining his attention once again. "Hinata seems to trust you more than anyone else, so if there's anyone who could help her through this all, it's you."

The jinchuriki felt his cheeks heat up a bit. "Me?" he asked with surprise, looking down at Hinata.

"Yup. On that note, I've got some paperwork that I need to fill out, so I'll leave you two alone for awhile. I left you another tray of food on the table, since you finished the last one I brought you. I'm glad that you've gotten your appetite back," she added with a half-smile.

"It's nowhere near as good as Ichiraku's, but it's okay I guess," Naruto remarked with a nonchalant shrug.

"Quit complaining," Sakura deadpanned as she exited the room. "I'll be back later." With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving Naruto with Hinata.

The blond sat in silence for several minutes, staring down at Hinata's peaceful face. The sunlight through the window seemed to illuminate her delicate features, and Naruto found himself staring at her in awe. Had she always been this gorgeous? Then again, he was a rather dense individual, and was a bit slow on the uptake. Still, how could he not have noticed? He continued to hold her hand in his larger one, using his his free hand to gently stroke her hair, almost in a trance. _'So soft...'_ He brushed her bangs aside, his fingers feeling her smooth, silky locks that shone radiantly in the light. His heart fluttered a bit and he found himself slowly lowering his face to Hinata's. His lips lightly brushed up against hers, and he closed his eyes to savor the sensation for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing. _'Geez, what the hell is wrong with me!?'_ With an exasperated sigh, he straightened up, but kept his grip on her hand for now. That was the second time he had almost kissed her.

Naruto yawned, as he had barely slept over the past few days. Before he knew it, his heavy eyelids closed and he soon dozed off, emitting snores as he slept. He'd toppled forward, his head landing on the bed near Hinata's side. Even as he slept, he didn't release her from his grip.

xxxXXXxxx

A few hours later, Naruto awoke to a very light sensation in his hand, and he groggily sat up in his seat. He looked down to see that his hand was still holding Hinata's. Although weak, Hinata's hand was softly squeezing his.

"Hinata?" He moved from the chair and onto the side of the bed to get closer. "Hinata? Can you hear me?"

The girl's eyelids moved slightly, yet they did not open. She let out a quiet sigh, giving him another light squeeze.

"Hinata," Naruto spoke gently, placing his other hand on her cheek. He waited patiently for several seconds, almost holding his breath with anticipation.

"Mmm..." Hinata moaned, her head turning slightly to the side where Naruto was sitting. Her grip tightened slightly, then relaxed again.

Naruto had to restrain himself from yelling her name repeatedly to try to wake her up. Doing so would probably result in Sakura barging in and punching him into a wall for being so noisy. Instead he continued to allow her to slowly awaken on her own, his heartbeat quickening. How was she going to react?

"Hinata?" He said softly, trying not to startle her.

Hearing her name, Hinata eyes slowly opened, her vision blurred. The voice had sounded familiar and she blinked, trying to clear the haziness. Where was she? And what was going on? She could see yellow and blue within the bleariness, and she blinked a few more times to try to adjust her eyesight. Seconds later, she was able to focus on what she was staring up at. For a moment, she didn't believe what she was seeing, and her lavender eyes widened in shock.

"Na..." She tried to say his name, but her voice trailed off with a pained crack. Was this actually happening? She couldn't believe it, though she desperately wanted to. A tear slid down her cheek, and it was when she felt his finger stroke it away that she realized that she wasn't imagining things.

Naruto smiled down at her, trying to contain his excitement so he wouldn't alarm her. "Hey. You're finally awake."

Hinata gazed at him with disbelief. "N-Naruto-kun...? Is it...really you?"

"Yup. It's really me," he responded with his trademark grin.

All at once, the tears that Hinata had tried to contain broke free and she let out a sob, her body trembling. Naruto immediately pulled her into his arms to comfort her, holding her in a tight embrace. Ignoring her soreness, Hinata clung onto him as she cried. Her face was buried in his broad chest, and within seconds, his shirt was wet with her tears. Naruto tried to soothe her by gently stroking her hair as he continued to hold her close.

"It's okay," he whispered to her as she continued to shake. Part of him told him that he should go find Sakura or Tsunade, but his body refused to budge from its spot. He didn't want to let go of the indigo-haired girl, and he had a feeling that she didn't want to pull away either.

"I thought...that I-I'd never see you again," Hinata whimpered, gazing up at him with teary eyes. "I-I didn't-"

"Shhh," Naruto softly interjected, trying to calm her down. "It's okay. You're safe now." He brushed her tears away, his bright blue eyes staring deep into her lavender ones. "I was so worried about you..."

Hinata blushed, her hand clutching onto his white shirt. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," he gently cut her off a second time. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I took too long to find you, Hinata."

Before she could respond, the door opened and Sakura stepped into the room. Her green eyes widened in surprise and she broke out into a smile as Naruto and Hinata reluctantly let go of each other in embarrassment, both of their faces red. "Looks like you're finally awake, Hinata. I'm so glad."

Hinata returned the smile and shifted, only to wince in pain from the movement.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Naruto quickly asked with concern. He was still sitting by her side on the bed.

"I'm fine. Just sore," she replied as she gently eased herself back down against her pillow.

Sakura turned her attention to Naruto. "Tsunade-sama and I will need to run some tests on Hinata over the next few hours, so why don't you go home and clean up."

"I have to leave?" He asked, his voice tinged with disappointment.

"You can't be in the room while we're conducting the tests, Naruto. You're free to come back later, but you haven't been home once since you got here. Go home, take a shower, and get some clean clothes on. And go talk to Kakashi-sensei while you're at it. You probably want to know what's going on with the investigation, don't you?"

The blond scratched the back of his head, still reluctant to leave. "Well, yeah, but-"

"But nothing," she reprimanded him. "Come back in about three hours. We should be done by then."

He sighed and heaved himself off the bed. "I'll be back later. Okay, Hinata?" he said with a smile.

Hinata nodded, blushing all over again. "O-Okay. Bye, Naruto-kun."

"She'll be fine," Sakura assured him as he headed out of the room.

"I know," he replied with a half-smile. "See you in a few hours."

With no other choice, Naruto heeded Sakura's advice, heading home to shower and change into a fresh set of clothing. As soon as he was finished, he went directly to the Hokage Residence in hopes of any information. He wondered if the Anbu had managed to discover anything important.

"Naruto, I've been expecting you," Kakashi remarked cheerfully as soon as his former student entered his office.

"Hinata's awake," Naruto informed him with a wide smile.

The silver-haired ninja nodded. "I heard. That's very good news." He paused for a moment, seemingly hesitant about something.

Naruto noticed and looked at him strangely. "What's wrong? Oh, did the Anbu find anything?"

Kakashi remained quiet for another moment before speaking again. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We're still trying to figure out the details, and the investigation is far from over, but I can tell you what we did find."

"What?" the jinchuriki asked, his heart skipping a beat.

"Well, you were correct about the area where you found Hinata. It seems that only a few hundred yards away, there was a facility."

Naruto frowned in confusion. "A facility? There was nothing like that around there. I searched through that area dozens of times. What are you talking about?"

"It was underground," Kakashi explained. "And the only way to access it, was through a tree that had been hollowed out. The Anbu only noticed it because the tree had been blasted open and destroyed from the inside, and they found a set of steps that led underground. It was extremely well hidden."

"An underground facility?" The blond stared at him in disbelief. "Was there where Hinata was being kept? And we never even noticed it?" His voice grew louder and angrier all of sudden. "Are you telling me that this entire time that we were looking for Hinata, she was directly under our noses!? How is that possible!? Not a single person could track her down, and she was nearby the whole time!?"

"Naruto, calm down. There were devices within the facility that were designed to interfere with chakra waves, which would explain why no one was able to track Hinata down, including you. Even with the insects from the Aburame Clan, the waves altered what they were able to sense. It was also too deep underground for the Byakugan to see. These people had made sure to cover every precaution," Kakashi told him.

Naruto's voice had lowered, but it still had icy tone to it. "So did you find out who did it? Who took her in the first place?"

"We did, but..."

"But what?"

The Hokage sighed. "This is where it gets complicated. Apparently, there were about sixteen people working in the facility altogether. They seemed to do be doing some sort of research, but the Anbu were unable to locate any files relating to it. We're thinking that those files were either taken or destroyed."

"So, did the Anbu arrest all of them?" Naruto pressed, getting impatient.

"Actually, when the Anbu arrived, they were only able to locate twelve of the researchers. All of them had been killed," Kakashi told him.

"What does that mean? Did one of them decide to help Hinata escape? Because with the way I found her, I highly doubt that she would've been able to kill twelve people in her condition," he added.

The older man looked down at his desk, his visible eye scanning over his paperwork. "We don't know that yet. The Anbu are still currently investigating. But, Naruto," Kakashi returned his attention to his former student. "I'm only telling this to a select few, so I don't want you sharing this information with anyone else. I debated even telling you, but it's only fair that you know this as well."

"Know what?" Naruto asked with an uneasiness.

"Those people weren't just killed. They were torn apart," he said in a low voice.

Naruto frowned. "Torn apart? What do you mean by that?"

"Not a single one of the bodies was intact," Kakashi explained. "They looked as though they could've been attacked by an animal of some sort, but that's only a possibility. It was...disturbing, to say the least. The place was a mess. These people had been ripped from limb to limb, and even now, their bodies are still being pieced together."

Naruto looked down at the floor, his jaw tight. "Even so...if they were keeping Hinata there and torturing her, I don't feel sorry for them. They got what they deserved. What about the other four? Did they get away?"

"It seems so, but as I said, we're still investigating. Most of the stuff from the facility has already been confiscated, but the Anbu are still combing through it to find any other clues. So far they haven't found anything regarding the other shinobi that had gone missing. We're not sure if these people were responsible for abducting them as of yet. Regardless, we're working to figure out their identities and then we'll go from there."

"There's no way Hinata could've done something like that," Naruto murmured. That small, innocent girl couldn't tear humans apart in such a grisly manner. One of the researchers had to have assisted her in her escape. Hell, maybe all four of the missing members were all in on her escape, hence how they were able to kill twelve people. But why would they have just left her in the middle of the woods like that? In that condition, she surely would've died if he hadn't come across her by sheer luck.

Kakashi spoke up. "As I said, we're still looking into things. I wouldn't worry about it too much, and the Anbu is on the case. If I find anything else out, I will let you know. But for now, keep what I told you on the low. Until we have more information, I don't want to be bombarded with all these questions that I don't have the answers to. But on that note, we must keep a close eye on Hinata for the time being. If four of those sixteen people are still out and about, there is a good chance that at least one of them may attempt to abduct her again."

"I won't let that happen!" Naruto snapped, his rage growing again. "If they come anywhere near her, I'll deal with them myself."

"I'm only warning you of the possibilities. We can't take any chances," the silver-haired man warned.

Naruto nodded in understanding. "I'm going to head back to the hospital. They're running some tests on Hinata now, but I at least want to be at the hospital in case something happens. The second you find anything else out, let me know. And I won't mention any of this to the others." Without waiting for a response, he hurried out of the office.

Kakashi sighed and looked down at his desk, picking up a photograph that he'd been looking at. The Anbu had sent some pictures of the gruesome scene, but he had decided against showing Naruto the images. They were far too disturbing. He stared at the photo, disgusted by the bloodied torso on the floor. The head and limbs had been ripped from the body, but an arm was in close enough proximity to be part of the shot. He tapped his finger on the desk, deep in thought.

"Something's not right," he muttered.

 **Aaand that concludes this chapter. I'm hoping to have the next chapter out in about two weeks, per usual, but if I have the ability to, it be will out sooner. Please review and let me know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the next chapter of the story that is taking me forever to update. But I appreciate your patience, so thanks for tolerating my slow ass. On that note, please read and review.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I'm surprised I actually remembered to do a disclaimer in the first place. It'll probably never happen again.**

 ** _Distorted Minds  
_**

 _Chapter 7_

Hinata flinched when she felt the cold cream against her back, the medicine stinging the welts.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized, trying to be more gentle.

"I'm fine, so don't worry," Hinata responded with a brief smile. Once the stinging subsided, the medicine left behind a more relaxing, cooling sensation. It seemed to numb the pain a bit, and she let out a sigh of relief when Sakura covered up her back. "Thank you."

"No problem," the pinkette replied, a knowing smirk on her face as she capped the jar of medicine. "Ya know, Naruto refused to leave your side the entire time you've been here."

Hinata's cheeks turned pink. "R-really? He stayed with me?"

"He was very persistent about not leaving you," Sakura told her. "And he was the one who found you in the first place."

"Naruto-kun didn't have to do that..." Hinata murmured, but she couldn't help the small smile that played on her lips. Naruto really hadn't left her side at all?

Sakura nodded. "Oh, you should've seen him. It was annoying, but at the same time, kind of cute. He complained every time I needed him to leave your room."

The indigo-haired girl blushed even more, speechless. She had no idea that Naruto would go through all of that trouble just for her.

"Naruto might be a dense idiot," Sakura continued, "but even he can get it right once and awhile." She stood up and looked at her chart, making a note on it. "Tsunade-sama already gave you an examination, and it looks like everything is coming along pretty well. We were able to completely flush that infection out of your body. But as far as that drug in your bloodstream, the results have been inconclusive. Do you know exactly what it was that you were injected with?"

Hinata looked down, shuddering slightly at the memory. "It was an enhancement drug of some sort."

"An enhancement drug?" Sakura looked perplexed. "For what?"

"It was supposedly able to increase speed, stamina, and chakra. I don't know how well it actually worked, to be honest. The past few weeks have been a blur, and I can't remember anything after the last time I passed out at the facility," Hinata said in a low voice. "I'm still partially in denial that any of this is even happening. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm afraid that either I'm hallucinating or trapped in some sort of genjutsu."

The pink-haired female put her hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Hinata. It's normal for you to be feeling like that, and even as we speak, Kakashi-sensei is currently investigating it. I don't want you to put too much stress on yourself, so I'm not going to ask you to remember everything that you know. Just take it easy and concentrate on your health."

"Hey, it is safe for me to come in yet!?"

Sakura glowered and looked at the closed door. "Not yet, Naruto! Shut up and wait patiently like I told you to!" She heard him mutter something under his breath through the door. "WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"Nothing!" He quickly responded, not wanting to anger her. "I'll wait!"

"That's what I thought!" Sakura loudly responded, then shook her head with a sigh. "I swear, he's such a pain sometimes."

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto slouched down in his seat with a groan. The chair he was sitting in was beginning to get uncomfortable, and he shifted to find a better position. He couldn't help but think back to what Kakashi had told him. _'Those twelve people weren't just killed. They were torn apart.'_ Kakashi's words drifted through his mind and he sat back with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

He couldn't wrap his head around the possibility of Hinata being the one who had killed them. Especially not in the grisly manner that they had been found. Obviously it couldn't have been Hinata, given her weakened condition, so somebody must've helped her escape.

As Naruto contemplated on the possibilities, he heard the doorknob turn and saw Sakura emerge from the room. "This chair is uncomfortable," he remarked dryly, rubbing his sore bottom.

"Quit complaining. Tsunade-sama and I are done with Hinata for now, so you can go in if you'd like."

"How much longer before she gets out of here?" Naruto asked.

Sakura looked at him strangely. "She just woke up a little while ago, so I can't really say. So far, she's recovering well, so I suppose as long as everything stays on track, she can be discharged in maybe 2-3 days. None of her injuries are life-threatening and the infection is gone as well."

"That's good to hear," he remarked with relief. A moment later he heard his stomach growl loudly. "Umm..."

The pinkette chuckled. "I'll go get you something to eat. Hinata should try to eat something, too, so I'll be back in a few minutes."

Naruto watched as she headed down the hallway of the hospital, then turned and entered Hinata's room. The girl was resting against her pillows with her eyes closed, and Naruto took a seat on the chair beside her bed. He groaned and and attempted to get comfortable on the seat, wishing that the hospital would invest in chairs that didn't feel like cement.

Hearing him, Hinata slowly opened her eyes and looked over to see her crush. She felt her face heat up as their gazes locked, and her heart fluttered a bit when he smiled at her.

"You look like you're doing a lot better. Sakura-chan told me that your recovery is going well," he remarked.

Hinata nodded in agreement. "Most of the cuts and bruises have already healed, but it's going to take a little longer for the other injuries." She winced in pain as the words left her mouth, her body still sore from the ordeal. The puncture wound in her side was well-bandaged, but she could still feel steady throbbing.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked with concern. "Should I go get Sakura-chan?"

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. But...you look tired, Naruto-kun. Maybe you should go home and rest. You haven't really had any sleep since bringing me here," she added with a hint of guilt in her voice.

"I'm fine. I got some sleep earlier before you woke up." Naruto grumbled and shifted again. "Damn, this chair is so uncomfortable."

"Umm...you can sit on the bed, if you'd like," Hinata said shyly, her cheeks pink. "I-if you're really uncomfortable..."

Taking her up on the invitation, Naruto sat down on the bed beside her with a content sigh. "Yeah, this feels a lot better."

Hinata smiled and closed her lavender eyes once more. "Sorry, Naruto-kun, I'm still feeling tired. Even though I've already slept for a few days straight..."

"You need it," he pointed out. "You still have to recover, so take it easy. Get some sleep."

"I really don't want to sleep though..." she said almost in a whisper.

Naruto looked down at her with confusion. "Why not?"

Hinata opened her eyes again, but did not respond. Before he could press the matter, the door swung open as all of their friends gathered into the room.

"Hinata, I'm so glad you're okay!" Ino cried, tightly wrapping her arms around her friend, causing the indigo-haired girl to squeak in pain.

"Ino, you're being too rough!" Sakura chastised as she entered the room with two trays of food.

xxxXXXxxx

 _2 Days Later_

Naruto entered the Hokage's Residence, rushing up the stairs to greet his former sensei. Today was the day that Hinata was going to be released from the hospital. Her injuries had healed up well enough for her to no longer need such constant medical attention. There was just a final examination from Tsunade, and then Hinata would be free to go. Naruto figured that he'd relay the message to Kakashi, but he also wanted to see if the Anbu had made any other crucial discoveries. Just as he neared the door to the office, he could hear Hiashi's voice from inside the room. The door had been left slightly ajar, so Naruto could hear as Hinata's father and Kakashi exchanged words.

"I understand what you're saying, Hokage-sama," Hiashi stated. "But I really can't risk allowing her back at the compound."

 _'What?'_ Naruto was stunned. Why wouldn't Hiashi want his own daughter to return home? What was his problem?

"Hyuga-san, I get that you're concerned, but there's really not enough proof that Hinata was the one who was responsible for that. I don't think Hinata would be capable of such brutality. It's just not like her," Kakashi replied calmly.

"Something isn't sitting right with me. If someone had gone through the trouble of rescuing Hinata, why did they leave her out in the middle of the woods? She was found only a few hundred feet away from the facility, was she not? I realize that it's unlikely that she was the one who killed them, but I can't help but feel that something is off. I was told that she can't remember what happened after she passed out in the research facility. Only that she woke up in the hospital without any recollection with how she got there. Not only that," Hiashi continued, "but there is a chance that she could be abducted again. I'm sure they know where the Hyuga compound is, so obviously they'll be looking for her there."

Kakashi was quiet for a moment. "You do have a point," he admitted. "I don't really like the idea of Hinata being left unattended, especially with the possibility of her being taken again. If that's the case, I can arrange for a room to be rented to her, all costs covered by me. I can station a member of the Anbu to guard her and-"

Naruto abruptly entered the room, having heard enough of the conversation. "Hinata can come stay with me at my place."

"What?" Hiashi stared at Naruto as if he had two heads. "Absolutely not."

"I don't know if-" Kakashi began, only to be interrupted.

"I'd rather have Hinata stay with me than with some creepy masked guy that she doesn't know," Naruto remarked flatly before switching to an arrogant grin. "Besides, I'll be able to protect her better than anyone else."

Hiashi looked as though he wanted to argue, but seemingly decided against it. If anyone was capable of protecting his daughter, it was that loud-mouthed Nine-Tails jinchuriki. Still, it was apparent that he wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea.

Kakashi stared at Naruto for a moment, considering what he had said. "I suppose it might be better for Hinata to stay with someone that she knows and trusts, in comparison to a complete stranger. But are you up for the responsibility?"

"Of course I am," Naruto replied with a dismissive wave. "I've gotten more mature over the past two years."

"Uh, yeah..." the silver-haired man trailed off, knowing his former student's childish antics all too well.

Hiashi sighed reluctantly. "Very well. I will send Hanabi over with an overnight bag so that Hinata has what she needs for a day or two. But I'll make it clear that I don't like this idea at all. And take this." He pulled some money out and held it out for Naruto to take.

Naruto looked at him, slightly offended. "I don't want you to pay me for taking Hinata. She's my friend and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

"This is for groceries. I would like my daughter to eat something other than ramen while she stays with you," Hiashi remarked flatly.

"I have plenty of food in my house," the blond ninja retorted defensively. Then again, he would have to go through everything and see what had expired.

Hiashi stared at him for a moment, then sighed and shook his head briefly. "If you say so." He turned to Kakashi, his face stoic. "I must get going, but if you find anything else out, please contact me immediately." With that, the head of the Hyuga Clan turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.

"Naruto, are you sure you can handle this?" Kakashi questioned, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Naruto asked with mild confusion. "I'm more than capable of protecting Hinata."

The Hokage was quiet for a brief moment. "That's not what I'm referring to."

"What do you mean?" Naruto had no idea what his former sensei was talking about.

"Just...proceed with caution. This situation is extremely delicate, and while we're continuing with the investigation, you need to pay attention to anything that may seem...odd." Kakashi was trying to find the right words to explain it to the rather dense young man standing before him. "Like...strange behavior from Hinata."

The jinchuriki gazed at him, perplexed. "Like what?"

"I'm not sure," Kakashi admitted. "But, if you notice anything that seems out of the ordinary with Hinata, let me know."

"Uh, okay..." Naruto had no idea what Kakashi was getting at. What did he mean by strange behavior? Obviously after what Hinata had been through, she was bound to be more on edge and anxious. So what was the older man referring to? "Well...I'm going to get back to the hospital. Since Hinata's getting discharged today, I want to make sure I'm there when it's time."

Kakashi nodded briefly. "I understand. I'll keep you updated on any possible findings. Just remember what I said; proceed with caution."

Naruto smiled thinly. "I will. See you later."

While he headed back to the hospital, Naruto's couldn't stop thinking about what Kakashi had told him. Had Hinata really gotten out of that place by herself? It didn't seem plausible. Then again, the powerful burst of chakra that he had sensed in the forest had definitely belonged to Hinata, hence the reason he was able to locate her in the first place. Something wasn't making sense, but as he neared the entrance of the hospital, he quickly pushed those thoughts aside.

Naruto arrived at Hinata's hospital room to see Sakura preparing a syringe as she stood by the bed. She looked over at him and flashed him a quick smile.

"Hinata's just about finished. I just need to draw a few more samples of blood," Sakura explained to him, before turning her attention to Hinata. "Is that okay? The drug that you were injected with is unknown, and we need to run some more tests to find out its components. Sorry."

The indigo-haired girl smiled softly. "It's fine. I don't mind."

"Do you want me to leave for this?" Naruto asked, albeit a bit reluctantly.

Sakura shook her head, gently taking hold of Hinata's arm as she lowered the syringe. It was attached to a tube that would dispense the blood into a empty plastic bag. "No, it's fine. As long as Hinata doesn't care, at least."

Hinata smiled softly. "It's okay."

Relieved, Naruto walked over and sat down onto the chair that was near the bed, trying to stay out of Sakura's way. He watched as Sakura moved the needle down towards Hinata's arm, whom looked away from the syringe. Her body seemed to tense up, and Naruto noticed that although her face was mostly stoic, her eyes were full of fear. She kept her gaze away from the syringe and winced as the needle penetrated her skin and entered her vein, her face pale.

Sakura seemed to pick up on Hinata's trepidation, and she paused for a moment. "Hinata, are you okay?"

Hinata did not respond vocally, but gave a small nod, still refusing to look at the needle. The pinkette hesitated for a moment and began to draw her blood, which traveled through the tube and into the bag. As the bag slowly filled up with blood, Naruto's eyes never left Hinata. He saw her grip the bed sheet tightly, her anxiety gradually increasing. Hinata shuddered slightly and she let out a shaky sigh, but otherwise made no other sound or movement. Naruto glanced nervously at Sakura, but she was concentrating on drawing the blood. The bag continued to fill up with the crimson fluid, the seconds ticking by.

"Sakura, how much are you taking?" Naruto asked warily.

"I'm almost done," she replied, though she seemed to be directing it more towards Hinata, whom simply nodded.

Once Sakura was finished, she carefully pulled the needle out and put a bandage over the small puncture. As she did so, Hinata's body seemed to relax and and she finally looked up, releasing her hold on the sheet.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Naruto questioned with concern.

"I-I'm fine," she quickly responded with a small, nervous smile.

The blond saw through the lie, but decided not to press the matter. It wouldn't do any good to fluster her by pushing the subject. He had to be more sensitive about these things, or else he'd make everything worse. "Well, that's good. Are you excited that you get to leave today?"

Hinata's face lit up, and now her smile was genuinely happy. "Yes. It'll be nice to finally be able to go home again."

"Well, about that..." Naruto's voice trailed off as he scratched the back of his head. "There's been a change of plans."

Sakura frowned with confusion. "Change of plans?"

Hinata gazed at Naruto with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Kakashi-sensei and your dad decided that it might not be safe for you to go back to the compound. So we came up with an alternative. Actually, it was my idea, and it took me a minute to convince your dad because he was being a pain and Kakashi-sensei didn't think it would be a good a idea and-" Naruto was suddenly cut off by an impatient Sakura.

"Get to the point already," she snapped. "If Hinata's not going home, then where will she be staying?"

"With me," he remarked with a grin.

Hinata's face turned bright red as she processed his words. "W-what?" It was a good thing she was lying in the bed; she probably would've fallen over otherwise.

"Yup, you're going to stay with me, Hinata. Kakashi-sensei wanted to have some random Anbu member keep watch over you, but I didn't like that idea. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to be stuck with some creepy stranger at some weird inn that you've never been to," he added.

Sakura stared at him with puzzlement. "What's this all about? Why can't she go home?"

Naruto was reluctant to answer, but decided to tell them the truth. Part of it, at least. "There's a possibility that whoever took you, might be looking for you," he explained to Hinata. "We don't want to risk you being taken again, so we're making sure that you have protection."

Hinata was still blushing profusely as she gazed at her crush. "So...I'm staying at your apartment with you?" She felt like she was in a dream, and for a moment she wondered if it actually was.

Sakura smirked. "Well, if that's the case, you'd better not screw this up, Naruto."

"Heh, I won't," he snickered.

"Naruto-kun, you don't have to do this," Hinata told him, shyly dropping her gaze. "I...I don't want to cause you any trouble and-" She went quiet when she felt his hand engulf hers, and she looked up at him with surprise.

Naruto smiled at her. "It's not going to cause me any trouble. And I'm not doing this because I think I have to, I'm doing it because I want to. I don't want anything else to happen to you," he added with a somber undertone.

"O-okay," she stuttered as her heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, Nee-san!" Hanabi remarked cheerfully from the doorway. She carried a duffle bag over her shoulder, while holding a small canvas bag with her opposite hand. "Father sent me here to drop this off to you." She walked into the room, smirking at how Naruto's hand was still holding onto Hinata's. Realizing it, the two teens let go with embarrassment, both of them blushing.

"Thank you, Hanabi," Hinata said with a smile. "I'm surprised Father is actually allowing this."

Hanabi chuckled. "Oh, don't get me wrong, he's not very happy. He was muttering under his breath, and he got annoyed when I teased him about it. But he knows that it's the smartest decision. The stuff in the canvas bag is for when you leave the hospital, and the duffle bag has enough stuff for the next two nights. I only grabbed a few things to hold you over until you can come to get more," Hanabi informed her. "So, when are you getting out of here?"

Sakura spoke up and picked up a chart. "Right now, actually. Tsunade-sama told me that I could start the discharge process once I finished taking these samples. So, in the meantime, you can get dressed, Hinata. We'll leave the room while you get ready."

While Naruto waited outside of Hinata's closed hospital room, he looked over to see Tsunade approaching him.

"Naruto, could you come with me for a moment?" she asked.

Confused, he nevertheless nodded. "Sure."

Tsunade led him into an empty room and closed the door behind them, wanting some privacy. She then turned towards him with a serious expression on her face. "I understand that Hinata will be staying with you for a little while, am I correct?"

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei and I agreed that Hinata would be the safest with me," he explained. "Is everything okay?"

"If you're adamant about this, then there are a few things that you should be aware of. Also, no offense, but you're rather oblivious to the things that go on around you. I don't want you doing anything stupid that might cause problems for Hinata."

Naruto frowned a bit. "What do you mean?"

"Hinata is in a very delicate situation right now. Since she's woken up, she hasn't showed as many signs of trauma as I had expected her too. She seems to have very little memory of what happened over those two weeks that she was imprisoned. Other than a few details here and there, she has trouble recollecting certain details. Her memories may be temporarily repressed, but they are likely to return to her. Something seemingly insignificant may trigger some of those unpleasant memories, so she is in a very fragile state of mind," she informed him.

Although dense, Naruto understood her words. "I get it. I'll make sure I pay more attention than I normally do. And I'll try my best not to do anything that might upset her."

"Even if you do, it probably won't be your fault. I'm only giving you a warning. Also, for the first few days, she should try to get some rest and not to overexert herself. Don't rush her into anything that she may not be comfortable doing, but try to be supportive and ease her into things. This is a lot of responsibility, Naruto. Are you up for it?" Tsunade inquired.

The blond ninja nodded, his face serious. "I am. I don't care how difficult it might be. I'll do whatever it takes to keep Hinata safe and help her through all of this."

Tsunade smiled. "Good. Keep me updated on how she's feeling, as well as her behavior. If anything seems out of the ordinary, please let me know. She'll probably be dizzy and light-headed for the first day or two, so if she ends up fainting, just put a cool compress on her forehead. Wait ten minutes, and if she still seems to be having problems or won't wake up, bring her back to the hospital."

Naruto smirked. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. I'm going to go see if she's ready to go yet," he said as he began to head towards the door.

Tsunade put a hand on his shoulder as he started to walk past her, causing him to pause for a moment. "One more thing. If Hinata attempts to take her own life, let me know immediately."

 **I hope you liked this chapter and I will have the next one out in about two weeks. Please review and if I can, I will update sooner.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally finished this damn chapter, which has a bit of fluff. Sorry, but after that depressing bullshit in the first few chapters, the mood needs to be lightened up a little. Anyway, please read and review.**

 _ **Distorted Minds  
**_

 _Chapter 8_

"So, now that you're finally out of the hospital, I'll take you to get ramen like I promised," Naruto remarked cheerfully. "I'm sure you're sick of hospital food."

Hinata flashed him a smile as they walked away from the hospital, Naruto carrying her duffle bag over his shoulder. "Thank you, Naruto-kun." She was now dressed in a short-sleeved pink shirt that she wore over a long-sleeved gray shirt. A white skirt that ended mid-calf and a pair of pink sandals completed her attire. "But...um...are you really sure about this?"

Naruto paused and looked at her with confusion. "Yeah, Ichiraku's is definitely way better than hospital food."

"N-no, that's not what I was referring to. I mean-"

"Hinata," Naruto gently interjected, his blue eyes locked with her wide lavender ones. "I meant what I said, and I promised you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Besides, we're friends, so living together shouldn't be much of an issue," he added with a laugh. "Now let's go get some ramen." He took her hand into his and led her towards Ichiraku's, oblivious to Hinata's blush as she walked alongside him.

Twenty minutes later, Naruto let out a loud, content sigh as he slouched down on his stool a bit. Six empty bowls were stacked in front of him on the counter. On the contrary, Hinata had only managed to eat half of the single bowl that Naruto had ordered for her.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked with worry. "Was there something wrong with your ramen?"

Surprised, Hinata smiled and shook her head. "Oh, no, it was very good. I just got full pretty quickly. I haven't eaten much in the past few days, so my body is trying to get used to eating food again."

"Oh, that's right," he mumbled, completely forgetting that detail.

Ayame came over and began to clear away the bowls, a knowing smile on her face. "I'm glad to see you, Hinata. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling fine," Hinata replied warmly. "Thank you, Ayame-chan."

"Is this one taking good care of you?" Ayame quipped, eyeing Naruto as she spoke.

Naruto didn't seem to catch that coy little smile on her face as he chimed in. "Of course I am. Hinata's going to be staying with me for a little while."

Ayame's smile grew more obvious. "Oh, really? That's interesting," she remarked, noticing how the indigo-haired girl blushed a bit. "You two make a really cute couple, ya know."

Finally catching on, Naruto's face's turned pink, a sheepish grin on his face. "It's, uh, for security purposes. I guess you can say that I'm temporarily her bodyguard."

"Well, then if that's the case, make sure you take very good care of her," she said, further embarrassing both teens.

"Heh, I will." Naruto quickly pulled his frog wallet out of his back pocket, and hastily paid for their meals. "Thanks for the ramen. We'll see you later." With that he took Hinata's hand and pulled her along with him. She had the same thought as him, both of their faces bright red as a cheeky Ayame stared after them.

Once they were a distance away from Ichiraku's, Naruto released Hinata's hand. "I was thinking about taking you somewhere else, but it's getting kind of late in the day, and you're probably tired. So let's just go right to my place instead."

Hinata nodded in agreement, but she felt her heart skip a beat. "Okay." The thought of being alone with Naruto in his apartment made her blush all over again.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, noticing this.

"I-I'm fine," she quickly answered as they continued towards his apartment.

He could see just how apprehensive she was, even though she was desperately trying to hide it. To be honest, he was a little nervous himself. He glanced down at her, taking in her soft features as she walked beside him. This would be the first time a girl had ever spent the night at his place. And Naruto was well of aware of just how beautiful this particular girl was. The last thing he wanted was to make Hinata uncomfortable while she was trying to recover. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't realize that Hinata had fallen behind until he noticed that she was no longer beside him.

Naruto paused and looked back to see Hinata walking towards him, though she was moving more sluggishly than before. Before he could say anything, she spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she apologized, her breathing a bit heavier than it had been before. "I'm a little slow right now."

Naruto cursed himself for his stupidity. "No, Hinata, it's not your fault. You just got out of the hospital, and I made you walk all the way to Ichiraku's. I'm sorry."

Hinata smiled sweetly at him. "It's okay. I had a good time, even if it was only to get ramen with you."

The blond ninja felt his cheeks heat up, returning the smile. "Well, regardless, you shouldn't be walking around so much. So we're going to do this instead." With that, Naruto swept Hinata up in his arms bridal style, surprising the kunoichi. "Hang on."

Hinata clutched onto his black jacket as Naruto leapt up the side of a building and landed on the rooftop. From there, he ran and jumped across several more rooftops, quickly carrying Hinata towards his apartment. Hinata held onto him tightly, staring up at him shyly while her cheek rested against his broad chest. Naruto looked down to meet her gaze, flashing his trademark grin. The girl immediately blushed and tore her eyes away, hiding her face in embarrassment while Naruto chuckled at her cute behavior. A few minutes later, the teens arrived at Naruto's apartment and he set her down.

"I'm sorry about the mess," he apologized as he unlocked the front door. "I haven't been home so the place looks like a disaster." He didn't want to admit that it was always messy regardless of the situation.

"I'm not worried about it," she replied, entering the dark apartment.

Naruto flicked the switch and closed the door behind them, locking it. Empty instant ramen cups littered the kitchen table, as well as the counters. Articles of clothing were strewn about on the living room floor, as well as various snack wrappers. Naruto had been called a slob on more than one occasion, constantly getting berated by Sakura over it.

"Well, umm...do you want to take a shower or something?" Naruto offered.

"O-okay," she stammered. A shower sounded nice, and would hopefully relax her a bit. She was already so tense, and she feared that it would only become more obvious if she didn't do something.

Naruto brought her a towel and a washcloth, leaving her duffle bag inside the bathroom for her. Hinata thanked him and closed the door behind her, trying to calm herself down. She turned on the water and began to undress while she waited for the water to warm up. Wincing, she removed her layered shirts and discarded them onto the floor. Quickly taking off her remaining clothing, Hinata gingerly entered the shower. She had intentionally left the water on a cooler temperature than normal. Hinata shuddered at the memory of the scalding hot water dousing her injured body, and she desperately tried to push those thoughts out of her head. She instead focused on scrubbing her long hair, and then carefully washing her body. It felt as though every single muscle in her body was stiff and sore, and she let out an exhausted sigh as she stood under the water to rinse off the soap.

Hinata turned the shower off, then stepped out and grabbed her towel. She gently patted her body dry, taking special caution over the healing puncture wound in her side. She purposely avoided the mirror as she ran the towel through her hair to dry it. After a few moments of hesitation, Hinata summoned up the courage to look into the mirror and inspect the condition of her back. She stared at the reflection for several seconds, not wanting to believe what she was seeing. The welts were no longer open wounds, but the sheer number of them was astounding. Lines of welts criss-crossed her back and she felt her eyes well with tears as took in the sight. She let out a shaky sigh and remembered the medicinal cream that Tsunade had given her. Wrapped up in her towel, she took a look at the contents inside the duffle bag. To her horror, Hanabi had packed only select articles of clothing, none of which Hinata found to be practical. The only sleepwear she found in the bag consisted of a sleeveless, white nightgown that she had never even worn before. Ino had given it to her as a joke on her eighteenth birthday, hinting that Hinata could wear it around a certain blond idiot.

Realizing that she had no other option, Hinata reluctantly reached in the bag to pull it out. However, her hand brushed up against a small, plastic jar and she suddenly remembered that she needed to apply her medicine. The jar contained a translucent cream that would help with the wounds on her back. Sighing, she stood up and inspected her back in the mirror.

From outside the bathroom, Naruto removed his black jacket and lazily tossed it onto one of the kitchen chairs. He removed his forehead protector, running his hand through his hair, and set it on the counter. The shower had shut off a few minutes ago, but Hinata hadn't emerged from the bathroom just yet. He stared at the closed bathroom door as he removed his shuriken holster, setting it on the counter beside his forehead protector.

Naruto wasn't concerned that Hinata wasn't quite finished yet, but the fact that he hadn't heard any sounds coming from the bathroom worried him a bit. It was completely quiet behind the door, and he walked over towards it. He passed through the living room and stopped in front of the bathroom.

"Hinata?" he called, knocking lightly. "Are you okay in there?" When she didn't answer, he felt his heart skip a beat. "Hinata?" Just as he reached to grab hold of the doorknob, the door opened by a few inches.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun," Hinata apologized, her body hidden from view.

The blond smiled. "It's fine. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. You didn't come out and I didn't hear anything, so I just wanted to check up on you," he added. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I'm just...trying to put some medicine on my back..." she confessed. "Sorry I'm taking so long."

"Oh, do you need some help?" Naruto inquired. "It's probably difficult for you to reach, right?"

Hinata turned a deep shade of red, and even through the slight crack, Naruto noticed it. "N-no, it's okay. I can manage."

"Hinata, don't lie to me," he teased. "I can tell when you're trying to hide something. You need help, but don't want to ask. And you don't have to, because I'm offering to help."

The young woman shyly peered at him through that small space. "But..."

"But what?" Naruto pressed.

"It's just that..." she hesitated for a moment. "...My back...looks really horrible... I don't want anyone to see it."

"I don't care how bad it looks. Please, Hinata. Let me do this for you," he said softly with a begging undertone.

Realizing that he wouldn't give up, Hinata could only sigh as she relented. "O-okay. Could you just give me a moment? I-I'll let you know when you can come in." She stepped away from the slightly ajar door and out of Naruto's sight. Her heart raced in her chest as she reluctantly adjusted the towel around her body. Her back was left exposed, and she hugged the towel in front of her chest to keep her breasts covered. "You can come in," she told him, trying her best to keep her composure.

Naruto stepped into the bathroom, where Hinata stood with her back towards him, her long hair concealing the injured area. He tried not to concentrate on the fact that a girl was standing in front of him with only a towel on, instead focusing on the task at hand. "Do you have the medicine?" His cheeks heated up a bit as his eyes unintentionally scanned over her. _'Stop being a pervert!'_

Hinata handed it to him over her shoulder, using her free hand to clutch tightly at the towel to keep it closed. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I'm sorry you have to do this."

He smirked, removing the lid from the container. "You don't need to apologize for everything. I want to help you out as much as I can, so if you need something, just let me know."

Instead of answering vocally, Hinata could only offer a small nod. Without looking back at Naruto, she shamefully moved her damp, tousled hair out of the way, exposing the crisscrosses of welts all over her back.

Naruto's blue eyes drank up the sight the cuts and welts, his jaw clenching. Wordlessly, he began to gently apply the cream all over Hinata's back, causing her to shudder. "Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

"N-no, it's just cold," she murmured, avoiding his gaze.

He continued to carefully spread the medicine over her skin, making sure not to miss any spots. Despite her injuries, Naruto could feel how soft and smooth the rest of her skin was. Hinata remained silent as he did this, trying hard to keep her tremors under control. Her cheeks were a delicate shade of pink, and she held the towel to her chest even tighter. She had to admit, though, that Naruto's touches felt wonderful against her skin.

Naruto finished up but his hand lingered on her back for several seconds, his eyes narrowing as he continued to stare at the injuries. His anger began to rise, but before he could do anything, Hinata looked over her shoulder at him. "Th-thank you, Naruto-kun," she murmured.

He smiled at her. "Any time. Let me know when you have to put more on, and I'll help you again." With that, he quickly left the bathroom to give her some privacy. Once the door was closed behind him, and he was back in the living room he let out a sigh. He moved away from the bathroom and went into the living room, trying his hardest to contain his rage. Hinata's back looked much better now compared to when he had found her, but it didn't take away from the anger he felt.

From inside the bathroom, Hinata reluctantly put the short nightgown on in addition to a pair of silky white panties. She began to brush her hair, though she couldn't help but think of her blond friend. His hand had felt so cool and soothing against her back, and she couldn't help but shudder slightly at the memory. She gathered up her stuff and hesitantly opened the bathroom door. Naruto had his back to her as he placed a pillow and a blanket onto the couch and she set her bag on the floor out of the way.

Hearing her emerge, Naruto spoke up and began to turn towards her. "Since you're a guest, I'm going to let you stay in my room while I sleep on the-" His words cut off when he saw the young woman standing before him. The silky material of the nightgown clung to Hinata's body, accentuating her feminine curves.

Hinata hugged herself in embarrassment, but doing so only made her voluptuous chest more noticeable and her cleavage more prominent. "I-I'm sorry," she quickly stammered, mortified. "Hanabi didn't pack anything practical for me," she added, blushing feverishly. "Th-this was all I h-had for sleepwear..."

"I-it's okay," Naruto responded, his face also red. He couldn't help it, though. She looked absolutely stunning, and her shyness made her that much cuter as she tried and failed to cover herself. However, he was suddenly aware of the hardening between his legs, causing him to panic. "Ah, I'm going to shower now!" he loudly announced. "Make yourself comfortable!" With that, he hurried into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. "That was close," he mumbled, then looked down to see his erection. _'I really hope Hinata didn't notice!'_ he thought to himself with dismay. _'She'll probably think I'm some kind of pervert'._

His cheeks were still red even as he began to strip off his clothes, trying to ignore the racy thoughts that were cascading through his mind. He turned on the shower, adjusting the water to make sure it was cold. After that, he was going to need to cool off He let out a small groan and grabbed hold of his throbbing member, then moved into the shower, gasping when the coldness hit his skin. Within seconds of the chilly water spraying over his body, Naruto's erection had softened, putting a cap on his arousal. He shivered, and after enduring the freezing temperature for another moment, he turned the water onto the hot setting. He washed his hair and body, trying not to think about the indigo-haired beauty that he'd left in the living room. It proved to be damn near impossible.

Naruto turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, his body dripping wet. It was then that he realized, in his haste, he'd forgotten to bring a towel. And clothes for that matter. Luckily for him, he'd left a pair of black sweatpants hanging on the towel rack He lacked a shirt, and underwear for that matter, but pants were essential, and he at least had those. He used a small hand towel to dry himself as best as he could, then pulled on his sweatpants.

Meanwhile, Hinata had gone into the kitchen to ponder for a moment. She wondered if Naruto would want any tea, though she wasn't sure if she had ever seen him drink it. Or if he even had tea to begin with. She had heard the shower turn off a little while ago, indicating that Naruto would be out any minute. Once he emerged, she could ask him. As she headed back into the living room, the bathroom door opened and Naruto stepped out. Hinata stopped dead in her tracks, her lavender eyes widening as her face turned a bright shade of pink.

Naruto stood before her, his bare, muscular chest glistening with a few drops of water. He was dabbing the back of his neck with the small towel, and he smiled when he saw her. "Sorry about that. I, uh..." He was trying to apologize for rushing off into the bathroom so suddenly but he stopped when he saw the expression on her face, which was quickly turning red. "Hinata? Are you okay?" he asked with uncertainty.

Hinata couldn't say anything, her heart racing as she tried to tear her eyes away from his chiseled torso. She felt light-headed, and a moment later, she began to fall backwards as she lost consciousness.

"Hinata!" Naruto shot forward, dropping the towel as he rushed towards her. He managed to catch her right before she hit the floor, and he sighed with relief. Sakura and Tsunade would skin him alive if Hinata got hurt after only an hour into his care. "Hinata?" he questioned with worry as he looked down at the petite body cradled in his arms. _'Don't panic! Granny said that she might be prone to fainting, so there's no reason to freak out.'_ He placed his hand on her forehead, feeling it to be only slightly warm. Hinata didn't seem to have a fever, but he didn't want to take any chances with her being in such a delicate state. Naruto carefully picked her up and carried her over to the couch, where he gently laid her down. He then went into the kitchen to retrieve a wet cloth, oblivious to the real reason why she had fainted.

The blond ninja returned to Hinata's side a moment later and sat on the edge of the couch as he placed the damp cloth on her forehead. He waited as patiently as he could for her to wake up, deciding that if she didn't wake up soon, he would bring her back to the hospital. However, in the meantime, he went to his room to put a shirt on. Underwear, too.

Hinata was beginning to stir as he returned to the living room. Naruto smiled and walked over to her, noticing the look of confusion on her angelic face. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"I-I'm okay," she murmured, realizing that she was lying on the couch. "S-sorry about that, Naruto-kun." She also saw that he had put a white t-shirt on, to both her relief and disappointment.

He smirked and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're okay. You scared me for a minute." He glanced over to where his bedroom was. "Anyway, you can sleep in my bed tonight, and I'll take the couch."

"It's fine," she softly replied. "I don't mind taking the couch."

"No, I want you to take the bed. It's way better, and I want you to be as comfortable as possible. So I'll take the couch, okay?" He was as stubborn as always.

Hinata blushed a bit. "Thank you," she said in just above a whisper as she slowly sat up. She sighed and removed the cloth from her forehead, feeling a dull throb in her head.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Naruto asked with concern. He already knew what she was going to say, however.

"I'm alright," she insisted, hiding her pain. "I guess I'm just worn out."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, if that's the case, why don't you head to bed? You still need a lot of rest." With that, he gently took her hand and helped her off the couch. He didn't want her to fall again, so he held onto her as he led her to his bedroom. "Lucky for you, I just changed the bedding, so there are no crumbs or anything in it," he remarked sheepishly.

Naruto tugged her into his room, which he had attempted to hastily straighten up while she'd showered. His room wasn't anything spectacular, but Hinata thought it was a nice room regardless. A mahogany dresser was beside the his closet, the door slightly ajar from the clothing and random stuff that he had recently thrown in. His desk was cluttered with miscellaneous items, a single desk light at the corner. The bed was rather large and adorned with a fluffy orange and black comforter.

"I actually just bought that bed a month ago," he said proudly. "New mattress and everything. The old one was starting to smell, and the springs were digging into my back," he added with a pained face at the unpleasant sensation that was embedded into his memory. "I'm glad that I replaced it, especially now that you're staying here."

' _I'll be sleeping in Naruto-kun's bed,_ ' Hinata thought to herself. It took everything in her not to faint a second time.

 **Well, that wraps up this chapter and I'm hoping to get the next one out in maybe a week or so. Please review if you can spare five seconds, or just wait patiently for the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Alrighty, I finally was able to update this damn story. Between this one and my other new one, I have my hands full. It's been awhile since I've juggled two stories at once and I'm trying really hard to be able to update both on a weekly basis. I can't guarantee anything, but I've been able to find a little more time to write lately. Regardless, you've been very patient, so thank you. Anyway, read and please review. It might motivate me to keep my ass on track.  
**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 9_

Hinata lay in bed, silently pleading with herself to go to sleep as she listlessly gazed up at the ceiling. She had been exhausted when Naruto had brought her to his room a few hours before, but now sleep seemed out of the question. She had managed to doze off for awhile, but never fully fell asleep. Although she was still tired, her mind was not allowing her to fall into a deep slumber of any sort. She could hear various noises, and in her sleep-deprived state, everything seemed louder than normal. Naruto's snoring was heard from out in the living room, having left the bedroom door open. Hinata didn't mind that sound, however. In fact, she found it to be comforting knowing that he was nearby in case anything happened.

The indigo-haired girl sighed and turned onto her side, pulling the covers closer to herself. The rest of the apartment was quiet, but she could hear noises from outside. The whistling wind caused the trees outside to sway, and a few drops of rain began to splatter against the window. Her eyes stared out the window, noticing that the moon was mostly covered by a dark cloud. The wind seemed to grow louder, and the rain increased. Normally those things didn't bother Hinata. Yet she couldn't help but feel as though she were being watched. She sat up and, still hugging the covers close to her body, and quietly activated her Byakugan. She looked around, able to detect Naruto's sleeping form in the next room over, whom was still snoring soundly. Her eyes concentrated on the window once again, and she cautiously scanned the area. A few people were outside as the shops began to lock up for the night, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

 _'There's nothing wrong. Stop worrying so much,'_ she told herself. Doing so was easier said than done, though. Hinata had been trying her hardest over the past few days to act as though she was okay. She had informed Kakashi about the other missing shinobi the previous day when he had stopped by to check up on her at the hospital. From what she had heard, though, none of their bodies had been located. The investigation was still on-going, and the Hokage suspected that the bodies may have been disposed of elsewhere. He had taken all of the information she had given him seriously, despite the fact that her memory was still somewhat murky. At the time of the questioning, the events that had happened during her disappearance had been difficult to remember, as if her mind had intentionally forced her to forget. Everything was slowly coming back to her now.

They had to be out there still. The thought of her captors caused her to shudder and she let out a shaky sigh, deactivating her Byakugan. She tried to convince herself that she was safe; she was back in Konoha, and under Naruto's protection, no less. Yet she couldn't shake the fear that they would be back, intent on recapturing her. According to them, she had been the only successful test subject who had managed to survive the experimentation, so there was no way they would give up so easily.

Kusanagi. Reiko. Mikoto. Kurome. Just their names sent a shiver down her spine as she remembered the horrors that they had put her through. She didn't know Kusanagi's first name, nor did she know the surnames of the other three, so she was unable to provide Kakashi with their full names. He had assured her that what she knew was good enough, and that they would be found no matter what. Hinata had been informed that twelve people were found dead once she began to press people for answers. She had no idea how she had gotten out of the underground facility, so she was desperate to piece everything together. Twelve people were dead. Who had killed them? Had someone rescued her from that prison? Naruto had told her that he found her in the forest, unconscious in a clearing not far from where she had been kept hostage. If someone had rescued her, why would they just leave her there? Not only that, but in the pit of her stomach, she had a feeling that the four she feared were still alive. The others had simply been other workers tasked with different jobs throughout the facility.

Hinata sighed and rubbed her eyes, then reached to feel the back of her neck. Although the area had since healed, she remembered the numerous injections that she had been given. She hoped that whatever drug Kusanagi had been giving her was already out of her system. Her eyes opened and she looked out the window once again, her face filled with worry. She wondered if they already knew where she was. It wasn't a secret that the Hyugas were from Konoha, so obviously they would know where to look. Kakashi had taken the proper measures by putting extra security by the gates of the village in the meantime. Even with the extra security, Hinata still couldn't shake the terror that seemed to be paralyzing her. She tried to shut out the various images that slowly crept through her mind like a snake stalking its prey. The torture chamber, with dried smudges of blood among the walls and the tools that adorned them. The blinding white room where she'd been subject to those torturous electroshock sessions. Those scalding hot baths that made her already painful wounds even more excruciating. She grabbed her head and whimpered, willing herself to stop thinking about those things. Stop remembering them. Her anxiety had risen, slowly approaching a panic attack as more disturbing images played through her mind like a faulty projector. _'Stop it...stop it...STOP IT!'_

"Hinata?"

The young woman jolted and looked up with wide eyes to see Naruto standing in the doorway. She hadn't even realized that he'd woken up. "Oh, N-Naruto-kun. I-I didn't hear you," she stammered nervously, the covers still pulled against her.

"I had to pee," he casually explained, stepping into the room. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she lied, putting on a smile. The last thing she wanted was to worry him.

Naruto stared at her for a moment, noticing how she fidgeted under his gaze. "Are you afraid?"

The question caught Hinata off guard and she immediately became flustered. "W-what? No, I-I'm fine. Really."

Naruto smirked a bit. "You're bad at lying, Hinata. Would it make you feel better if I stayed with you for a little while? Just until you fall asleep at least?"

Hinata blushed profusely and looked away. "N-no, you don't have to. I don't want you to lose any sleep over this and-" Before she realized it, Naruto had already approached the bed. "Naruto-kun...?" she looked up at him with uncertainty.

The blond male hesitated for a moment, part of him telling himself not to attempt what he was about to do. However, he wanted nothing more than to comfort her, knowing just how terrified she was, even if she refused to admit it. With a small smile, he moved the covers aside and joined her on the bed. Hinata gasped softly when he pulled her into his arms and she found herself nestled on his lap. She was speechless, and she felt as though her heart was going to explode as she shyly gazed up at him.

Naruto wasn't sure if it was a smart decision, but he didn't care at the moment. He adjusted the comforter so that it covered them both, taking special care to keep her warm. The girl trembled in his arms, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he held her against him. However, he couldn't help but enjoy the way her small body felt against his, fitting perfectly in his arms.

Hinata was blushing feverishly, momentarily unable to break eye contact with him as she willed herself not to faint. Naruto seemed a bit nervous himself, but he smiled down at her reassuringly.

"Sorry," he apologized with a sheepish grin. "I'm not really good with this type of stuff. But..." he trailed off, his blue eyes captivated by her lavender ones. "Umm..." He was at a loss for words. "Is...is this okay?"

Hinata nodded, unable to vocally respond. Her tense body had begun to relax a bit and the trembling was starting to subside. She was still nervous, but the terror that had been keeping her awake was slowly diminishing. "Th-thank you," she finally managed as she broke eye contact with him, red-faced.

The two teens sat in silence, with Hinata cradled in his lap with her head resting against his broad chest. She felt safe in his strong, muscular arms, and her anxiety eventually melted away. As the minutes passed, her eyelids began to grow heavy and she found it more difficult to keep them open. She yawned softly and inadvertently snuggled against him. Naruto kept quiet as to not disturb her while she began to doze off, but he smiled at the way she cuddled closer to him. He had never felt this type of intimacy with anyone before, and it was by far the most amazing thing he had ever experienced. After a little while, Hinata had finally fallen asleep in his protective hold, her fears temporarily put to rest. He held her closer to his body and noticed the sweet lavender scent of her hair. It was intoxicating.

Naruto had told her that he would leave once she was asleep, but he didn't want to go just yet. For one, he didn't want to wake her up by moving. The second, more obvious reason was that he just didn't want to let her go. He gazed down at her angelic face, his fingers finding their way to her long, silky hair. _'Stop it, you idiot.'_ He ignored his internal warning, his fingertips brushing against the dark locks. _  
_

Hinata stirred slightly in his hold, and he felt her fingers softly grip his white shirt underneath the covers. Naruto stared down at her and smiled for a moment before it faded from his face. He had convinced himself for so long that he was in love with Sakura, but the way he was feeling towards Hinata now was nothing like how he'd felt for anyone else. There was a warmth in his heart for Hinata that he hadn't experienced with Sakura. Not to say that he didn't care about his pink-haired friend, but it was not the same as what he was feeling towards the sleeping girl in his arms. Although he hadn't wanted to admit it, deep down, part of him had begun to believe that he'd never see Hinata again. Now that she was back, however, he was determined not to lose her again. He would keep her safe at all costs.

Eventually Naruto himself began to drift off into sleep, his blue eyes no longer able to stay open. He told himself that he should get up and go back on the couch, but his body refused to move from its spot. Instead, he simply slouched down on the bed a bit and positioned a pillow behind his head. He was soon asleep, never letting go of the petite girl in his arms.

xxxXXXxxx

Kakashi glanced at the clock with a sigh. It was getting rather late, but he wasn't ready to leave for the night just yet. The Anbu had completely cleared out the facility, confiscating anything that they could find. Vials of a murky white fluid had been found in one of the rooms, which Kakashi had pegged as the drug Hinata had been talking about. The bloodied tools had been taken as evidence, as well as the entire machine that had been used for electroshock treatments. The Anbu had to disassemble it before taking it from the facility, since it wouldn't fit through the entrance. Kakashi couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors that Hinata must've gone through during those two weeks, and he blamed himself for it all.

The silver-haired male flipped through the series of photos for what seemed to be the hundredth time. The images were no less disturbing, but he had no choice but to continually look through him. The amount of blood that were splattered along the white walls and ceiling, not to mention the huge puddles on the floor was astounding. Naruto had told him that he'd found Hinata due to a high amount of chakra she'd emitted, which stuck in his mind. Naruto had to be right; Hinata couldn't have done anything in the condition she'd been found. Yet the same nagging voice in his head kept telling him that there was a key factor he was missing. Hinata had been experimented on, and her chakra levels had been remarkably high, especially for someone who'd been found on the verge of death. As much as he wanted to convince himself that she hadn't been responsible for the carnage, he couldn't let that thought go. For now, he would just have to wait and see what happened, while waiting for further evidence.

"Hokage-sama," Shizune spoke up from the doorway, getting his attention. "Do you have a moment?"

"Yes, what is it?" He asked.

The woman entered the office and handed him a sheet of paper. "We were able to get some of the results back from the lab. It took them a little while to finish, so I'm sorry for the delay." She continued even as he began to read it over. "When Hinata was brought in that day, we used a few towels to clean as much blood off of her as we could, and I sent those towels to the lab. It appears that most of the blood covering Hinata's body was not hers."

"I see," Kakashi mused, his eyes skimming over the words as he read the report, stopping at one sentence in particular.

 _In addition to that of Hyuga Hinata's, the blood samples received contained that of at least nine individuals, possibly more._

Shizune looked at him with worry. "Those samples that were identified were confirmed to match up with nine of the twelve people that had been found dead in the facility."

"What about the other three bodies?" he questioned.

"The lab is still trying to separate the samples, but since the blood has been mixed, they are difficult to identify. If they have any more findings, I will report them to you immediately."

Kakashi nodded but didn't look up from the paper. "Please do," he murmured, reading over the same sentence again.

 _In addition to that of Hyuga Hinata's, the blood samples received contained that of at least nine individuals, possibly more._

xxxXXXxxx

 _'Because I...love you.'_

Naruto stirred in his sleep, snuggling against the pillow. "Hinata..." he murmured, his eyes still closed. He sighed and buried his face against the softness, enjoying the warmth. However, that was when he felt his pillow move as well. His eyes snapped open and he lifted his head slightly, only to realize that his 'pillow', was actually Hinata's chest. "Eh!?"

Hinata's eyes flickered open and she noticed Naruto's face in close proximity to her breasts, causing her to squeak in surprise. During the night, the two had shifted to the point where Hinata was lying on her back across the mattress and Naruto had slouched over partially on top of her.

Naruto raised his head to meet Hinata's startled gaze, both of their faces bright red. Panicking, he attempted to explain the situation. "Hinata, i-it's not what you think! I, uh...I thought...um, you were...ya know...my pillow. I'm so sorry!" With that, he quickly got off of her and tried to scramble away. In the process, he got tangled up in the sheet and fell off the bed, crashing onto the floor. Before the stunned girl could ask if he was okay, the blond clumsily left the bedroom, taking the sheet with him as he hurried out the door.

Naruto rushed into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, leaning up against it as he breathed heavily. His face was still red, and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. Not only that, but he had grown hard, which had been concealed behind the bed sheet, thankfully. _'Get it together! It was_ _an_ _accident!'_ Accident or not, however, the fact that his face had been buried in Hinata's breasts had made him aroused. He dropped the sheet onto the floor and reached down the front of his pants and under his boxers. His hand grabbed hold of his stiff member, which throbbed needfully in his grip.

"Damn it," he groaned, trying to calm himself down. It wasn't unusual for him to wake up in the morning an erection, but he knew for a fact that this one had been attributed to what had just happened. "She probably thinks I'm a perv," he muttered shamefully. He really hoped that it wouldn't be the cause of Hinata trying to leave. The last thing he had wanted was to scare her off.

Naruto took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, though his mind kept wandering back to those soft, voluptuous peaks that his face had been buried in. This was all Jiraiya's fault! His perverted tendencies had clearly rubbed off onto his student. If he was still alive, no doubt he would've teased Naruto relentlessly about what had just happened. Naruto debated on taking another cold shower to calm himself down, but there were no towels or clothing in the bathroom for him to use. Instead, he simply splashed some cold water onto his face, pushing those dirty thoughts out of his mind. Once he had gone limp once again, he let a relieved sigh and was ready to go back out and properly apologize to Hinata. This time without making a complete idiot of himself, hopefully.

He walked out of the bathroom and entered the living room just as Hinata emerged from his bedroom. She had gotten dressed while he'd been preoccupied with gathering his wits, now sporting a pair of gray shorts and a dark blue tank top.

"S-sorry, Naruto-kun," she apologized for he could speak. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble..." Hinata was hugging herself self-consciously. Hanabi had given her very few options of clothing, and she felt rather exposed. She wore a bra under her shirt, despite the pain and discomfort it sent to her still injured back. Going without wasn't an option for her.

Naruto gaped at her with disbelief. "Hinata, why are you apologizing? I'm the one who should be sorry. I was going to leave the room last night after you fell asleep, but I decided to wait a little while. I ended up falling asleep, too, and then, well, you know..." He tried to keep his eyes off of her chest as he spoke, her top leaving little to the imagination. She didn't seem to realize that by hugging herself, it pushed her breasts up even further, deepening her already prominent cleavage. Naruto definitely noticed. "But anyway, I'm really sorry about that. It was purely an accident, I swear," he explained, trying his hardest not to stare.

 ** _'Yeah, you're not being obvious at all,'_** Kurama snickered inside his mind.

 _'Shut up!'_

Hinata flashed him a smile. "It's okay. Accidents happen. Also..." She lowered her voice and looked away shyly. "Thank you for staying with me all night. You didn't have to do that..."

Relieved that she wasn't upset with him, Naruto smiled back, finally able to relax a bit. "Don't worry about it, Hinata. I mean...did it make you feel a little better?"

She nodded, blushing a bit as her lavender eyes once again locked with his blue ones. "It did. Thank you, Naruto-kun." She was quiet for a moment but spoke up again. "Would you...like me to make us some breakfast? I mean...if you're letting me stay here, it's the least that I can do."

"You don't have to do anything in return for staying here, ya know," he replied with a laugh. "But breakfast does sound pretty good. Then again..." He glanced over towards the kitchen. "I've barely been home in the past few weeks, so a lot of the stuff I have is probably expired. I should go run out and grab a few things."

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked him, gazing out the window. "It's starting to rain outside."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "Eh, it'll be fine. I'll only be gone for a few minutes." He paused for a moment, realizing his dilemma. "I don't really want to drag you outside in the rain since you're still recovering, but I don't want to leave you alone for too long, either... Maybe I should leave a clone with you. Or I can send one to the store."

"I'll be okay," she assured him, smiling. "I can handle being left alone for a little while. Besides, you should take a few minutes for yourself."

The blond chuckled, but he still didn't look quite convinced. "Alright...but I'll be back quickly. I really don't like the idea of leaving you alone," he told her, moving closer to her. "Just promise me that you won't open the door for anyone. Not even our friends."

Hinata blushed even more with embarrassment. "You're making me feel like a little kid, Naruto-kun..."

Naruto chuckled. "Well, you are the baby of the group," he teased, reaching down to gently pat her on the head. "And you're so small and delicate, I can't help but be overprotective of you." He smirked at the way her face turned a darker shade of red, getting drawn in by her cuteness. "Anyway, I'll get dressed and head out."

The girl nodded, unable to keep eye contact in her flustered state. "O-okay."

Ten minutes later, Naruto was dressed in orange pants, a white t-shirt, and his black jacket. He slipped on his sandals, then stuffed his frog wallet into his back pocket. "I'll be back soon. And remember, don't open the door for anyone. I have a key, so I'll let myself in." With that, he closed the door behind him and locked it, leaving Hinata alone in his apartment.

Hinata sighed and headed into the living room, unsure of what she should do. Naruto had already told her to rest and not worry about trying to clean anything up. It dawned on her that this was the first time she would actually be alone since she'd woken up from her coma.

"Everything will be fine," she murmured to herself.

 **Yeah, I couldn't resist adding some more fluff. But come on, it's necessary! Need some damn Naruhina moments and Naruto acting like a pervert, because let's be honest, he is one. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and I will try to update it in a week or so like I promised. Please review. Or not. Whatever.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow, I actually managed to update this within the one week time frame that I had set for myself. Go me. On that note, this chapter was a bit boring to write and I edited it a few times until I said fuck it and decided to submit it as it is. It's not a horrible chapter, but as I said, it's a little boring. The next will be better, and so on and so forth.  
**

 **And to answer a few questions; Sasuke will be in it. And as of now, I have no current plans for a Hidan/Hinata story. Maybe after the new year I can think of a one-shot. Although I admit, I like the concept of a Naruto/Hinata/Hidan love triangle where the guys are fighting over her. So I dunno, maybe I can figure something out. As of now though, my hands are full with two multi-chapter stories and I still have yet to begin my lemon compilation. I am hoping to begin that by the end of November or early December. We shall see.**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 10_

Hinata stood in front of the sink, washing the dishes that had been left piling up in it. She knew that Naruto wouldn't be happy with her cleaning when he told her to rest, but she couldn't help herself. It had only been a few minutes since her crush had left, but she already felt slightly unnerved. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had that same paranoid feeling that she had experienced last night.

 _'There's nothing wrong. Stop psyching yourself out.'_ Hinata continued to scrub at the bowls and plates, trying to keep her mind preoccupied. Yet even as she desperately attempted to ignore those ominous thoughts, they slowly crept through her mind once again. It felt as though she was being watched, and she shut the sink off as her Byakugan activated. Her lavender eyes peered out the window, searching for anything that might seem out of the ordinary. Even as her eyes confirmed that nothing was amiss, the anxiety she felt did not decrease.

Sighing, Hinata deactivated her Byakugan once again, taking one last look outside. She turned away from the window and finished the last of the dishes, her heart slowly speeding up. She shakily dried her hands off with a small towel, glancing over at the locked front door. Naruto had told her not to open it for anyone, including their friends.

Trying to calm herself, the indigo-haired girl walked out of the kitchen and headed into the living room. She picked up a few articles of clothing that Naruto had carelessly strewn about. Her face turned pink when she lifted up a pair of green boxers with orange frogs on them, quickly dropping all the laundry into a nearby hamper. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a brief movement coming from Naruto's bedroom. She quickly looked in the direction, the door to his room slightly ajar. With a bit of hesitance, she slowly made her way towards the room as her Byakugan activated a second time. Her heart seemed to beat more loudly in her chest, and she realized that she was holding her breath.

Hinata cautiously pushed the door open, a distorted image quickly flashing before her eyes. Hitching her breath, she gazed into the room with a look of sheer terror on her face. There was nothing out of the ordinary in the bedroom, but for a brief second, she had seen the dreary chamber that she had been kept in. She hurriedly turned and walked out of the room, her face pale as she tightly closed the door behind her. Her back leaned against it, and she realized that she was trembling. It had just been her imagination. Obviously she hadn't actually seen the torture room. Her eyes had envisioned it though, and she shook her head in a desperate attempt to clear it. She was overreacting and causing herself to panic over nothing. It wasn't real.

 _'Calm down. You're being ridiculous'_. She moved away from the door and sat down on the couch with a shaky sigh. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting like such a paranoid wreck? Whether it was a hallucination or not, it was enough to petrify her.

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto moved rapidly over the rooftops, a few bags in his hands as he hurried to his apartment. Luckily for him, the rain had staved off long enough for him to finish buying what he needed before it had begun to sprinkle. He wanted to get back to Hinata as quickly as possible and was seriously regretting not sending a clone to the store instead.

As he made his way home, Naruto couldn't help but think about his shy friend while he leapt from one roof to the next. He had been such an idiot last night. What the hell had he been thinking? Not only did he crawl into bed with her, but he had pulled her into his lap as if she had been his lover. What right did he have behaving in such away? He had to put some boundaries up if he wanted to make sure he didn't scare the poor girl away.

 _'Because I...love you.'_

That dream had played in his head last night, as it had been for nearly the last two weeks. He arrived in front of his apartment, but he did not go inside right away. The blond pressed his forehead against the door as the rain picked up a bit more, lightly pelting him with drops. When Hinata had confessed to him during Pain's assault, it had marked the first time anyone had ever told Naruto that they loved him. But he hadn't realized what she had meant by it at the time, and had never given her a response. It must've killed her inside, though she never showed any indication of just how much it may have hurt her. That was Hinata, though.

Now it was clear to him, however, and he cursed himself for his stupidity. Sakura was right; he was an idiot. Although he hadn't been sure at first, he had come to conclusion that he felt the same way about Hinata. He actually looked forward to going home, knowing that there was someone waiting for him. The empty void in his heart had been filled by the presence of the indigo-haired girl. Naruto shuddered with delight as he remembered how Hinata's small, warm body had felt cradled in his arms the night before. Something about holding her just felt right to him, and he wanted to feel it again. He wanted to apologize for being too dense to notice a good thing when it was right in front of him.

"Hinata..." he mumbled, angry with himself. Noticing that it was raining even heavier, he snapped out of his thoughts and dug his keys out of his pocket. Naruto clumsily fumbled with the door as he balanced all of the bags with one arm. He finally managed to open the door, dripping water into his apartment as he stepped inside. "Hinata, I'm back," he proclaimed, slipping his sandals off.

"Hi, Naruto-kun," Hinata greeted him softly as she entered the kitchen, a warm smile on her pink lips. She was determined not to show him how unnerved she had been while he was gone. It seemed pathetic and she did not want to concern him with anything that was unimportant.

The blond ninja set the bags on the counter. "I bought some cinnamon rolls for breakfast," he told her excitedly as he pulled a white box out from one of the bags. "I got some other stuff, too, so we'll be all set for a few days."

"Thank you," she remarked sweetly, a small blush on her cheeks.

Naruto smiled and was about to say something when he noticed the empty sink. His eyes narrowed and he turned his attention back to the young woman. "Hinata? Why did you clean? I told you to rest."

Hinata flinched and looked away, immediately nervous. "Oh, I...um..."

"Hinata," he pressed, stepping closer to her so that he was now directly in front of her. "Look at me."

With her heart racing once again, she stared up at the much taller male, feeling intimidated. "I...I was trying to..." She couldn't seem to get the words out and she felt herself get light-headed as his blue eyes pierced into her lavender ones.

Naruto gazed down at the visibly terrified girl and placed his hands on her shoulders. He then broke into a smile and shook his head. "I'm not going to yell at you or anything. I just wanted you to be able to rest, Hinata," he told her softly. He had only been kidding with the rough tone, but it looked like it had been enough to scare her.

"I know," she murmured shamefully. "I was just...trying to get my mind off of something."

The jinchuriki continued to stare down at her, pondering what she had said. "I guess I can understand that. If you ever need someone to talk to, you know I'm here for you, right?" He absently brushed his thumb over her porcelain cheek, enjoying the softness of her skin.

"Th-thank you, Naruto-kun," she said practically in a whisper. "I'm okay, though."

Naruto realized what he was doing, feeling her face grow warm beneath his touch. He pulled his hand away, smiling sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "Uh, anyway, are you hungry?" By now it was pouring outside, indicating that the remainder of their day would most likely consist of staying in his apartment.

Just as Naruto and Hinata finished eating, there was a knock on the door, and they exchanged glances. Naruto rose from his seat and answered the door, a smile appearing on his face a moment later. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei. How's it going?"

"Fine, thank you," Kakashi replied, his clothing wet and a bag clutched in his hand. "May I come in?"

The blond stepped aside to allow him in, curious as to why he had stopped by.

"Hello, Hinata," Kakashi greeted her with small wave. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay, Kakashi-sensei. Thank you," she replied with a warm smile, still seated at the table. She had only managed to eat a small amount of food in comparison to Naruto, who had devoured three rolls in under five minutes.

Naruto stared at the silver-haired man. "So, what brings you here?"

"I needed to speak to Hinata and ask her a few questions," Kakashi explained. "Would you mind giving us a few moments?" he asked Naruto.

Before Naruto could respond, Hinata softly spoke up. "I-I don't mind if he stays. I mean...as long as it's okay with you."

"It's fine with me," he told her. "If it doesn't matter to you, then it makes no difference to me." Kakashi took an empty seat at the table while Naruto took his original spot beside Hinata.

"What was it that you wanted to ask her?" The jinchuriki questioned.

With a sigh, Kakashi opened the bag and extracted a sheet of paper, with pictures of twelve different people on it. "Hinata, do any of these people look familiar?" He asked, handing it to her.

Hinata took the paper, her eyes scanning over each person. "No...I don't recognize any of them."

"Who are those people anyway?" Naruto asked, looking at the pictures.

"Those are the individuals that were found dead inside that underground lab," Kakashi explained with a low voice. "You don't remember any of these faces, Hinata?"

The indigo-haired girl shook her head. "No, I've never seen any of them before. I only really saw the four that I told you about. I'm sure there were workers that I never encountered, so it's possible that they were around the entire time I was being held there. It would make sense since it took six of them ambush us..."

"I understand completely," Kakashi remarked. "You're probably right and just never saw their faces, especially since they were wearing masks at the time." He paused for a moment and looked her in the eye. "I have four more photographs that I wanted to show you. We only had parts of their names and their descriptions from you to work with, but we came up with the possible identities of the ones that you knew of. Would it be okay if I pull them out and show you?" he asked.

"Yes," she quietly responded.

"Okay." The man took out the first photograph and displayed it on the table, revealing a young woman with strawberry blond hair. "Mayurama Kurome."

Hinata nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Yes, that's her."

"If you don't mind me asking, what was her part in this whole thing? She had either escaped during the commotion or hadn't been present, so I'm assuming she had a more important role than the rest of the researchers."

"She did," she murmured, staring at the picture. "She would use medical jutsu on me every so often to heal my injuries a little bit. Sometimes she would administer the drug, or she would inject me with a sedative. She was also in charge of the electroshock treatments."

Naruto's head jerked in her direction, his eyes widening with horror. "Electroshock treatments?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Hinata really put through something like that?

Hinata nodded, avoiding both his and Kakashi's gazes. "Kurome was involved with the actual results of the experimentation, and she would keep track of anything that happened along the way."

"Such as?" Kakashi pressed.

"Anything out of the ordinary, I suppose. For instance, a significant spike in chakra levels," she told him. "My chakra surged during one of the electroshock sessions, and it destroyed the machine that I was hooked up to. I don't know what happened after that because I was given a sedative."

Kakashi glanced over to see a look of anger on Naruto's face, and he wondered if maybe he should've sent him into a different room after all. Still, it was better if Naruto knew what was going on. He would only become more furious if he found out later on rather than now. Not only that, but he should know what these people looked like so he could keep an eye out for them as well. "Okay, how about this person?" He placed the second photograph over the first. "Igarashi Mikoto."

Naruto noticed as Hinata's face went pale and she gave a weak nod. "Y-yes," she said, trying to keep his voice steady. The thought of him made her cringe.

"What was his part in your situation?" Kakashi inquired, bracing himself for whatever reaction Naruto would wind up having.

Hinata seemed to have the same thought, as she nervously glanced over at the blond male. "He, um...he..." How was she supposed to come right out and say that he beat the hell out of her? Naruto would definitely go into a fit or rage. "Mikoto...would assist with...roughing me up," she finally said, trying to choose her words carefully. She fearfully looked at her crush, and she could tell by the expression on his face that he was getting angrier. "N-Naruto-kun?"

Noticing the fearful expression on her face, Naruto sighed to calm himself down and reached over to take her hand. He didn't want to scare or upset her by losing his temper. This was much harder for her than it was for him, so he had to make sure he put in the effort to keep his fury at bay. His eyes had come close to turning red. "Sorry, Hinata. I'll try to stay calm."

Deciding to move ahead, Kakashi placed the third photograph down, displaying a familiar redhead. "Okawa Reiko."

"Yes," Hinata responded. Seeing the red-haired girl caused her heart to skip a beat, and she unconsciously squeezed Naruto's hand. "She had the same job as Mikoto."

"And this last one?" The Hokage presented the fourth and final picture. "Kusanagi Hajime."

Hinata weakly nodded, her eyes glued to the image. "Th-that's him. He was the one calling the shots and was in charge of the whole experiment."

"This guy has an interesting backstory," Kakashi mused, staring at the photograph himself. "About ten years ago he was trying to manufacture a drug that was similar to what they were using on you. It was supposed to be an enhancement drug, and apparently Kusanagi went to Danzo to present his idea to him."

"Why would he go to Danzo?" Naruto asked, frowning.

The silver-haired man let out a sigh. "Well, Danzo's ethics and morals were close to nonexistent. And Kusanagi figured that if he could win Danzo over with this new enhancement drug, then he could manufacture it. Danzo seemed pretty sold on the idea apparently, and even had a few members of The Foundation to try out the drug to see how well it increased their performance. Unfortunately, that drug had some devastating side effects."

Naruto frowned, not liking where this was going. "Like what?"

"Seizures. Hallucinations. Suicidal thoughts and tendencies," Kakashi listed. "Ten members took the drug, and all had died in under four hours. Two died from the seizures. The others killed themselves. Naturally, Danzo was not happy and sent him away, so it looks like ever since that incident, Kusanagi has been trying to perfect the drug. He must've improved it to some degree considering that you're still alive, Hinata. Have you had any of those side effects?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "No, I haven't." She wasn't sure if she had been hallucinating earlier, but she decided to keep quiet about it just in case. It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her and nothing to actually be concerned about.

"Well, that's good to hear. Since you've confirmed those four identities, I can now officially give the Anbu their targets. We'll get all of them into custody, and then you'll be safe to carry on with your life," Kakashi tried to say in a more upbeat tone of voice as he stood up. He picked up the photos and put them back in the bag. "I'd better get going so that you can get some rest, Hinata."

"Thank you," she murmured, flashing a weak smile as opened the door and left the apartment, leaving her alone with Naruto once again.

"Hinata?" Naruto scooted closer to her, his face filled with worry. "Are you okay after that?"

She nodded, her hand still encased by his larger one. "Yes, I'm fine."

Naruto said nothing but only stared at his friend. He could see the fear in her eyes, even though she was trying to hide behind a smile. Hinata had planned on suffering in silence, which he had known from the beginning. Seeing her in such a state made his heart clench and he had to control himself from losing his temper. "Hinata," he said gently, placing his free hand on her cheek while he still held tight onto her hand.

Surprised, Hinata stared at her crush, her face heating up. "N-Naruto-kun?" She squeaked when he pulled her into an embrace, hugging her body against his chest.

"I had no idea that you went through all that," he whispered softly into her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver of delight through her body. "I'm so sorry..."

"I-It's okay," she stammered in response, shyly glancing up at him as he held her against him, her face turning redder. "It w-wasn't your fault. A-and I'm fine now, so, um..." Her eyes were locked with his and she was practically holding her breath.

Naruto felt himself blush, and he reluctantly released his hold on her a moment later. "I..." Even he was at a loss for words. His anger had melted away, and he wanted to take her mind off of everything. "So, since it's pouring outside, we'll hang out here all day. I should probably have you lie down and rest now that I think about it," he mused with a considering nod. "You're still recovering and you need to take it easy."

"I'm not feeling very tired, so maybe later," she remarked.

"Regardless, I should probably clean this place up." He looked around his messy apartment with disgust. "I should've cleaned up before you got here but it was kind of a last minute decision."

Hinata gazed at him, hesitating for a few seconds before speaking. "Naruto-kun? Was there another reason as to why I'm staying with you? I mean, other than my father being concerned for my safety?"

Naruto stiffened a bit, but he quickly composed himself. "No, why? It was my idea to bring you here, because I didn't think you'd be safe at home. That's all."

She wasn't fully convinced, but she decided not to press the matter. "Okay."

"Now, let's go find something fun to do," he said excitedly as he grabbed her wrist, tugging along the startled girl.

xxxXXXxxx

"The Hyuga girl is back in Konoha. Our job became that much more difficult due to your negligence."

"None of this would've happened if you hadn't taken off and left us in charge of that bitch!"

"Was I wrong to assume that you two were competent? It seems so, and as a result, I'll need to think of a new plan."

A third person let out an exasperated sigh. "Shouldn't we just find a new subject? It'll be impossible to get her back. There's a barrier around her village, so there's no way we can just sneak in. You could find a new subject and-"

"No! I've invested far too much time and energy to simply give up on her at this point. I've made so much progress, and would've made more if you two hadn't screwed it up during my absence! If you hadn't been so damn careless, none of this would've happened!"

"But we didn't even-"

"Enough! One way or another, we'll get her back. Let me warn you, though, if you mess this up, I will personally end you both. Do you understand? Now let's begin the preparations."

 **Somewhat of a short chapter, but it was boring anyway so it doesn't really matter. As I said, the next one will be better and I'll get this story moving along again. Please review and tell me whether or not this chapter put you to sleep. Next chapter should be out in a week.**


	11. Chapter 11

**After some careful consideration, I have decided to make this chapter and the next chapter longer than usual. The story is dragging on more than I had planned, so to move things along, what would've been three chapters has been condensed into two. I want to get the action started soon, and the best way was to speed things up by increasing the length of the chapters _._ I may continue to do so throughout the rest of the story, but I need to make sure I can fit it all in. I wanted to update weekly, but if you'd prefer longer chapters instead, I could do that. Just grant me a few extra days to make it possible. It's kind of tough to juggle two stories and update them both on a weekly basis, because I don't always have a whole lot of time to write. My next chapter will be out in a week though, regardless, since I'm already a good part of the way through. This chapter is more fluff, but the one right after is where it will begin to get exciting. On that note, please read and review. Also, excuse any spelling or grammar errors that I may have missed; I was too lazy to proofread it a third time.  
**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 11_

After a bit of convincing from Hinata's end, Naruto allowed her to help him clean up his apartment, embarrassed that she had seen what a mess it was in the first place. Hinata didn't mind, however, and was more than happy to help him tackle the daunting job.

"Wow, I can't remember the last time this place was so clean," Naruto murmured as he looked around, admiring their work. "No one really comes over here, so I don't keep up with the cleaning as much as I should," he added.

"You have a very nice apartment hidden underneath all that clutter," Hinata remarked jokingly.

The blond chuckled. "Thanks. I should put in a bit more effort to keep it clean, huh?"

"I'm always happy to help if you need me," she responded sweetly.

 _'I do need you.'_ Naruto blinked, surprised at the thought that had just crossed his mind. He stared at his friend, feeling a small blush creep onto his face as he bent down a little closer to her. His intense gaze was causing Hinata's cheeks to turn a light shade of pink as well.

"N-Naruto-kun...?" she meekly murmured with uncertainty. She couldn't seem to tear her lavender eyes away from his blue ones, and she felt her heart flutter.

Hinata's questioning, confused tone snapped Naruto out of whatever daze he had been in. He straightened himself and rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Um, sorry. I just...uh...spaced out. Anyway, what do you want to do?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Still blushing, the indigo-haired girl felt her heart skip a beat. That was right; she was going to be spending all of her time with Naruto. Alone.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" Naruto asked with concern.

She nodded, trying her hardest to stay calm. "I-I'm fine. And, um...what do _you_ want to do?"

"Well...you should rest after moving around so much. Are you sure that you're not tired?"

"I'm okay," she assured him with a smile. "Really."

Naruto was quiet for a moment, feeling his face heat up as he spoke. "Um...about last night..."

Hinata stared at him, a light blush dusting her cheeks. She tried to speak, but couldn't seem to find the words. Instead all she could was wait for him to continue.

The blond seemed to be having trouble forming his own coherent sentences, at a loss of what he should say. "I, uh...I'm sorry if I over stepped my boundaries. I probably shouldn't have climbed into bed with you, but it's just that...you seemed like you needed it. To be comforted, I mean!" he added quickly with a sheepish smile. "I'm not really good with this type of stuff, and I'm kind of an idiot. But if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, then just let me know."

"I-it's okay," she assured him as her blush deepened. "You didn't over step any boundaries. What you did for me...well...it did make me feel better," she admitted shyly as she dropped her gaze to the floor. "S-so thank you for that, Naruto-kun. And again, thank you for letting me stay here for now. I...I know that you're not used to living with another person, so if you need some space, I can give it to you."

Naruto smiled. "Actually, it's nice having someone else here, to be honest. It gets really lonely sometimes, so I really enjoy your company."

"Th-thank you," Hinata stammered, flustered by his words.

"Oh, I almost forgot," the jinchuriki started again with realization. "Aren't you supposed to put that medicine on your back twice a day? I helped you apply it last night, but not this morning. We should probably take care of that to make sure you heal correctly."

Minutes later, the two teens stood in the bathroom, Hinata covering her chest with a towel while Naruto gently applied the medicine to hear bare back. He noticed how tense she was, still embarrassed to have him see the unsightly mess. Her face was tilted downwards, bright red as his hand moved across her skin.

"How's the pain?" he asked her, his eyes glued to red crisscrosses.

"N-not bad," she replied, then shuddered a bit.

Concerned, Naruto paused. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Hinata smiled, glancing over her shoulder to meet his gaze. "No. It felt...nice..." she admitted.

"Really?" He kept up with the light rubbing, spreading the medicine out to cover the entire area. "Heh, I guess I'm better at this than I though."

"I wish Hanabi packed me some looser clothing," the indigo-haired girl murmured. "The tight clothing hurts to put on and take off..."

Naruto grinned, an idea popping into his head as he finished up. "Hang on, I'll be right back." With that, he turned and left the confused girl in the bathroom. He returned moments later, a white t-shirt in his hand. "Wear this. It'll be a lot more comfortable for you."

"Th-thank you," she stammered, shyly taking the article from him as she used her other hand to clutch the towel to her chest. _'Naruto-kun's clothing...'_

Naruto tried his best to avoid looking directly at her chest, feeling his face heat up. "No problem. I'll, uh... I'll let you put that on." He quickly exited the bathroom once more, closing the door behind him. ' _I've really gotta restrain myself.'_

It didn't take long for Hinata to emerge, and when she did, Naruto couldn't help but gape slightly. The shirt was long on Hinata's petite frame, her shorts completely hidden beneath the white fabric. _'So cute',_ he thought to himself, wide-eyed as he took in the sight before him.

"N-Naruto-kun?" She questioned nervously, tilting her head slightly. "Is everything okay?" She was trying her hardest to keep her composure as well. She was wearing the clothing of the man she loved. A moment later, a sharp jolt of pain shot through her head, causing to her wince.

"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto asked, worried as she began to massage her right temple.

Hinata flashed him a brief smile. "My head's a little sore," she confessed.

"You should lie down for a little while," he told her. "You really need to rest, or you won't recover as quickly." With that, he took her hand and led her to his bedroom. "Take a short nap at least, okay?"

"O-okay," she said, her cheeks rosy as she reluctantly let go of his hand and climbed into his bed. She couldn't deny that the migraine was getting worse, and maybe lying in a dark room would help.

Naruto pulled the blanket up to cover her, his eyes locked with hers as he smiled down at her. "Just rest for as long as you need to. If you need anything, yell for me, okay?"

"Thank you Naruto-kun," she murmured softly, her mind giving into the exhaustion.

Naruto watched as her lavender eyes slowly began to close, the girl emitting a soft content sigh as she allowed herself to drift to sleep. He reached down and gently brushed her bangs off her forehead, checking to make sure that she didn't have a fever. His fingers lingered on her skin for several seconds, even after he confirmed that her temperature seemed to be normal. He finally drew his hand back and exited his room, keeping the door open on his way out.

Naruto made his way to the kitchen and started a pot of water. Cleaning up had woken up his appetite once more and ramen seemed to be his go-to solution every time. As he waited for the water to boil, he looked back towards the direction of his bedroom. From his angle, he was unable to see inside the room very much, even with the door wide open. He knew that she was safe where she was, but that tiny spark of paranoia he'd felt just wouldn't go away.

The blond began to prepare the ramen, though his attention was elsewhere as he mindlessly repeated the same process he'd done countless times. He thought about going back over to peek in on her, but stopped himself. _'Stop being ridiculous. She's fine.'_ Sighing, he tried to switch his attention back to the ramen, the steam and aroma filling the air.

Fifteen minutes later, three empty bowls rested on the table in front of where Naruto sat. There was still some ramen left in the pot, which he was saving for Hinata once she woke up. He heaved himself up and collected the stack of bowls, placing them in the sink to wash later. He was used to his sink always being piled high with dirty dishes, but this time it had been empty. Naruto looked around, taking in the rest of the apartment that was also usually a complete disaster. He had Hinata to thank for that.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden surge of chakra he sensed, and he jerked his head in the direction of his room, where it had come from. "Hinata!" he yelled with alarm, rushing towards the bedroom. He stopped at the doorway, peering in to see Hinata still sleeping in his bed. To his astonishment, however, her body was cloaked in a churning dark blue chakra, which was more powerful than Naruto remembered. It was exactly like the day he had found her.

The blond slowly made his way over to Hinata, noticing that she was frowning slightly in her sleep. Her hands clutched at the blanket, her breath hitching. Worried, Naruto reached to take hold of her shoulders to try to shake her awake, hoping to wake here up from whatever nightmare she seemed to be having. He let out a surprised gasp when Hinata's eyes suddenly opened, her hands grabbing his wrists to halt his movements. For a moment, Naruto stared at her, wide-eyed and speechless as the girl held his gaze. Her lavender eyes looked a few shades darker than normal, and they held an iciness to them that stunned the jinchuriki. Seconds later, the chakra dissipated and Hinata released her grip on his wrists, her arms falling back down on the bed as her eyes closed once more.

Naruto gaped at Hinata in shock for a moment, stunned and unsure of what to make of the situation. He then snapped out of his daze and reached down to give her a light shake. "Hinata? Can you hear me?"

The indigo-haired girl moaned softly, her eyes slowly fluttering open. "Mmm...Naruto-kun?" she asked sleepily, gazing up at him.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the beside her. "It looked like you were having a nightmare." He noticed that her eyes had returned to their pale lilac shade.

"I...I don't know..." she murmured. "It might've been a nightmare but..." Hinata paused for a moment to sit up, her eyes locking with his. "Can...can I ask you a few questions, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded, his heart skipping a beat. "Yeah, sure."

She hesitated briefly before continuing. "Y-you were the one who found me, right? I...I can't remember anything. I have no idea how I got out of that place. All I remember is that I blacked out...and then I woke up in the hospital. Did you notice anything suspicious in the area where you found me?"

"No. To be honest, I didn't really look around," he admitted. "I saw you, and that was all I cared about at the time. I didn't notice anything about the area."

Hinata was quiet for a moment. "There was no one else around?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. Just you."

"Then how did I...?" The indigo-haired girl sighed, perplexed. "I don't get it..."

"Maybe someone from the facility decided to help you escape," he suggested.

She was quiet for a moment, considering the possibility. "I doubt it."

Naruto couldn't deny that the idea seemed rather implausible. Suppose someone had decided to break Hinata out of that place and killed the rest of the workers. Why would they have gone through all that trouble, just to leave her alone in the woods like that. Not only that, but with four of her captors still very much alive and at large, they probably would've intervened or at least attempted to recapture her during that time. It just didn't sound like a reasonable possibility.

"Naruto-kun," she said softly, regaining his attention by meeting his gaze once more. "Am I here only because my father was worried about them finding me? Or is there another reason?" The thought kept nagging at her.

The blond smiled reassuringly, taking her hand into his. "No. You're here because we all wanted to make sure that you're somewhere safe. We don't want them to find you, but if they do, I'll stop them in their tracks. You're safe with me." He hated lying to her, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that her own father suspected her to be responsible for the killings. "I made some ramen. Do you want any, or would you rather go back to sleep?"

"Ramen sounds good," she replied, though she still seemed a bit uneasy. "I don't want to fall asleep again."

"Why not? Is something wrong?" he asked with concern.

Hinata flashed him a brief smile and shook her head. "No. It must've just been a nightmare."

Unlike the previous day, she managed to eat a full bowl of ramen, despite feeling on edge. She knew that Naruto would worry if she wasn't eating enough, so she forced herself to finish.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. It was very good," she complimented him.

"Heh, thanks. Too bad that's as far as my cooking skills go," he remarked with a sheepish smile. "Otherwise I'd make you something other than ramen..."

Hinata's blushed lightly. "I-I could teach you. I-if you're ever interested," she quickly added.

"Really? Are you sure you want to try? The last time I tried to make something other than ramen, I accidentally started a small fire," he laughed with embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen," she replied sweetly.

There was a knock at the door, and Naruto rose from his seat to answer it. To his surprise, Ino was standing outside, holding an umbrella over her head and clutching a bag with her other hand.

"Hey, Naruto! Is Hinata here?" Without waiting for a response, she looked past him to see her dark-haired friend seated at the kitchen table. "Hinata! So you are here."

Hinata smiled. "Hello, Ino."

"Hi, Ino," Naruto said as he stepped aside to allow her to enter. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I heard that Hinata was staying here for a little while, so I figured I'd stop by and drop a few things off," Ino remarked with excitement as she strode over towards Hinata. "I can't stay because I have to meet up with Sakura, but I'm so glad that you're doing well." With that, she set the bag on the table and gave Hinata a quick embrace. "Anyway, I hope you like this stuff, and I'll see you guys later. Bye!"

Naruto and Hinata stared after her with confusion as Ino left the apartment, then exchanged baffled expressions.

"Well...that was weird," Naruto muttered as he closed the door. "So, what's in the bag anyway?"

"Let's see..." Hinata mused as she began to pull out the contents of the bag. "Clothing of some sort?" She pulled out a sleeveless white dress, as well as an assortment of blouses, skirts, and shorts. "Oh, wow... Ino didn't have to go through all that trouble. I'll have to thank her for this when I see her next. She ran off before I could." Compared to what her sister had given her, these outfits seemed to be a bit more to her liking.

"What's this?" Naruto pulled out the last items from the bag, holding the two articles up for them to see. It didn't take long for them to realize that he was actually holding up a black, lacy bra and a matching pair of panties. "Uh..." He felt his face turn red, but when he looked at Hinata, her blush was ten times more prominent than his. "Heh, Ino has a good sense of humor," he joked, trying to make light of the situation. "Anyway..." He put the lingerie back in the bag and moved it into the living room to get it out of the way. "Want to teach me how to cook something right now?"

Grateful that he was changing the subject, Hinata's blush began to fade a bit. "Okay. What do you want to learn?"

"Hm...how about a dessert or something?" he suggested. He loved ramen, but he also had a bit of a sweet tooth.

"Alright, you'll get your first lesson in baking," she commented. "Now let's see what you have for ingredients. You mentioned that a lot of your stuff expired, so let's make sure we have everything we need."

Surprisingly, Naruto actually had everything necessary to make the cake that they'd decided on. By some miracle he even had eggs that hadn't gone bad yet. Thirty minutes later, with a bit of a mess on the counter from Naruto's clumsy attempt, the cake was baking in the oven.

"It smells good," he remarked, then looked over at Hinata, whom was whipping up a bowl of frosting. "Can I try?"

Hinata moved aside to allow him to stir, amused by how much he was getting into it. "You're doing great, Naruto-kun. I'm impressed."

He snickered. "Me too. I haven't burned the place down, so that's a bonus." He looked over at her, his blue eyes locking with her pale lavender ones. "Thanks for being so patient with me, Hinata. Even when I wasn't paying attention and almost added the eggs without actually cracking them first."

"You're new at this, so don't worry. You'll get the hang of it the more you do it," she remarked warmly. "Just keep trying."

The rain began to pick up, beating heavily against the roof of Naruto's apartment. "Damn, it's really coming down," he mused. "Looks like we're definitely going to have to spend today inside. But honestly, I'm having a great time just being here with you."

Hinata blushed, her heart skipping a beat. "R-really?"

"I...I really like having you around," he said, his own cheeks heating up as he dropped his gaze. "I know the circumstances aren't the best, but..." His eyes met hers once more. "I can't remember the last time I felt this happy. And it's because of you."

Hinata stared at him with shock, her face turning even redder. "Me? B-but I didn't do anything."

Naruto moved closer to her, staring down at his much shorter friend. "You came back." His words rendered the girl speechless, and he chuckled with amusement. "Anyway, let's finish up in here and go do something else."

The remainder of the afternoon flew by quickly as the two teens enjoyed each other's company, until night approached. Naruto found himself waiting longingly as Hinata showered, his mind racing with several frenzied thoughts. He was still perplexed about the incident earlier with Hinata's sudden rise in chakra, and the power he'd felt behind it. It was similar to the time when he'd found her, but this time he was in a much closer proximity and able to sense it at a higher level. His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard the shower turn off. Moments later, he was in the bathroom with his shy friend, once again carefully applying the medicine to her injured back.

"Does it hurt at all?" Naruto asked, making sure his touches remained gentle.

"No, not really" Hinata told him, clutching her towel in front of her chest. She had thought ahead and brought in a pair of shorts with her, as well as a clean shirt that Naruto had lent her. Her tense muscles slowly relaxed as Naruto continued to massage the cool cream into her skin.

Naruto smiled. "That's good. Your back looks better now than it did this morning. I don't know what's in this medicine but it seems to be working awesome."

The blond left the bathroom to allow her to finish dressing, gathering a clean set of clothing for himself. Hinata had looked no less embarrassed about her welts than she had the past two times, shamefully avoiding his gaze. Naruto wished she would realize that it truly didn't bother him to see her like that.

Hinata emerged from the bathroom, wearing the white t-shirt he had given her. The shirt nearly came down to her knees, much too large for her petite frame. Naruto was unable to get over just how adorable she looked in his clothes and it took everything in him not to pull her into his arms and ravage her. Instead, he went to take a shower of his own, trying desperately to ignore the dirty thoughts in his head. He washed himself, then turned on the cold water for a few moments to take the edge off the burning desire that was slowly taking over him. Once he was out of the shower, he clumsily pulled on a pair of green boxers with orange toads on them, followed by black sweatpants. An orange t-shirt donned his muscular torso, and he discarded his laundry into the hamper before exiting the bathroom.

Hinata was in the kitchen, and she turned to look at him with a smile. "Naruto-kun, would you like some tea?"

"Sure," he answered with a cheeky grin of his own. "Since it's getting late, do you just want to sit down and watch a movie with me?"

"O-okay," she murmured with a light blush, carefully pouring water into two teacups. She inadvertently shivered as a chill ran through her body, which Naruto noticed.

"Are you cold?" he asked her.

Hinata's blush darkened slightly. "A little bit," she admitted. "Don't worry, I'll be-" She went quiet as Naruto fetched his black jacket and proceeded to put it on her. Stunned, all she could do was stand there as he zipped it up.

"You look better in that than I do," he quipped. "Feel any warmer?"

Hinata could only nod, her heart pounding in her chest. She rolled the sleeves up a bit, since they were much too long on her, unaware of Naruto's lingering stares.

Once they were seated comfortably on the couch, Naruto nonchalantly switched on one movie in particular. "I've been wanting to see this movie for awhile, but it might scare you. Would you rather watch something else?" He hated anything involving ghosts, but this film steered away from the supernatural themes.

"N-no, that's fine," Hinata lied. She had never been good with horror movies, but Naruto seemed rather excited about it. "I don't mind."

However, it wasn't long before the indigo-haired girl began to slowly inch closer to him, fearfully averting her eyes from the frightening scenes. Naruto smiled at her cuteness and put an arm around her reassuringly. "I can shut this off if it's scaring you," he remarked gently.

"I-it's okay," she replied, determined to show him that she could handle watching a mere movie.

In the end, Hinata was cuddled close to Naruto's body, watching the film with a sideways glance. Every so often she'd look away from the television and hide her face near his chest. She continued to refuse his offer of shutting it off, earning a laugh from the blond.

"You don't have to pretend, Hinata-chan," he told her. "I can change the channel."

She shook her head. "It's almost over, so I can manage-" She stopped mid-sentence and buried her face in his chest from a jump scare in the movie.

"You're adorable," Naruto chuckled, holding her close. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was glad that he had chosen this film. He felt rather guilty for picking something that would scare her, but it had given him an opportunity to comfort her. It was the oldest trick in the book, yet it proved to be working as his terrified friend continued to cuddle against him.

Hinata was bright red, mortified that she couldn't handle something as simple as a movie. She felt Naruto's strong arms around her, and she nearly fainted from the closeness.

Eventually, the movie ended, making way for a comedy to begin soon after. As the minutes ticked by, the two teenagers began to drift off into sleep, no longer paying attention to the television.

Three hours passed before Naruto groggily woke up to discover a random television series playing and Hinata asleep on the couch beside him. It was nearly one in the morning. He switched off the TV, then carefully gathered the sleeping girl into his arms, and began to make his way to the bedroom. Hinata snuggled against his chest and clutched onto his shirt as he carried her. She continued to cling to him even as he attempted to place her in his bed, not wanting to let him go.

"Naruto-kun," she murmured in her sleep.

 _'Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it.'_ Once again, Naruto chose to ignore the nagging voice in his head and climbed in beside her. This wouldn't be like the previous night; he would take special precautions to ensure that. He just had to wait a little while for Hinata to loosen her grip on his shirt before he could slip away, as he didn't want to wake her by forcing her away from him. Not that he wanted to. Yet just like the night before, he had fallen back to sleep before he could separate himself from her, with his arm around Hinata's shoulders.

 _The next morning_

Naruto groaned softly, beginning to stir awake as daylight subtly peeked through the shades in the bedroom. He yawned, though his eyes remained closed as he continued to lie there, resting on his left side. However, it wasn't long before he realized that something wasn't quite right. He could feel something against his back, and his eyes slowly opened to adjust to the light that was beginning to illuminate the room. His head turned back slightly, and he discovered that Hinata's body was pressed into him, her chest squishing against his back. Her arm was draped over his waist, hugging him in her sleep. Naruto's face turned a bright shade of red, unsure of what to do. Hinata had fallen asleep still wearing his black jacket that was much too large for her. Her small form felt nice against his solid body, and he couldn't help but blissfully enjoy the closeness.

"Mmm..." Hinata snuggled against him, still asleep. The arm around him loosened a bit, and her hand rested on his hip, right at the waistband of the blond's sweatpants.

Naruto's blue eyes widened, her delicate hand touching the tanned skin between his pants and where his orange shirt had ridden up. Her touch sent a shiver of delight through his spine, and the fact that her breasts were pressed against him made it even more intense. Her finger brushed over his hip, dipping slightly down the waistband of his sweatpants. Naruto held his breath as her finger rested on that area for a moment, before sliding out and moving back over his hip. He let out a small sigh of relief, though he couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of disappointment at the same time. _'Stop being a perv!'_ he scolded himself.

Hinata snuggled into him even more, her cheek resting against his back. The blond closed his eyes, relishing the way she hugged him in her sleep. He had never experienced such intimacy, and the longer it continued, the more he desperately wanted it. He knew he should get out of the bed, but his body wouldn't allow him to. His heart skipped a beat when her hand suddenly began to travel once more, this time resting directly on the crotch of his pants. _'Oh, shit!'_ Almost immediately, he felt himself harden beneath her touch, sending him into panic mode. _'Crap, this isn't good! I don't want to wake her up, but I have to get her to stop before-'_ His thought was cut off as she gently squeezed the area and he almost yelled out in surprise. He fidgeted, eyes wide, attempting to carefully pull himself free from her grasp.

"Naruto-kun..." she breathed softly, causing his blush to increase even further. Her body shifted slightly, making her chest squishing against his back more noticeable.

 _'Fuck fuck fuck fuck!'_ Naruto's heart was racing and he could feel his member throbbing needfully under Hinata's touch, and he let out a small groan. He gasped when she squeezed again, and he clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to try to block out those feelings. The task quickly proved to be impossible. Naruto wondered what she was dreaming about, but another squeeze interrupted his thoughts. If he didn't get out of this situation soon, it could become a serious problem. However, before he could even begin to think of a plan, Hinata's grip on him suddenly loosened, and she rolled away from him onto her other side. Naruto sat up and looked down at her with surprise, before quickly but subtly getting out of the bed to hurry to the bathroom.

Unlike the other times, there was no way a cold shower was going to help him cool off. He had to relieve the pressure, and there was only one way to do it. Naruto turned on the shower and stripped his clothes off, leaving them on the floor in a pile. While he waited for the water to heat up, he grabbed hold of his aching manhood and began to stroke it up and down. He couldn't help himself, the memory of Hinata's body sensually pressing up against his still very prominent in his mind. Moments later, he stood under the hot spray, his eyes closed in ecstasy as he continued to pleasure himself. His breathing grew more rapid, as images of his shy friend raced through his head. This continued for a few minutes, his mind fixated on Hinata. He felt himself getting close, and he remembered the way she had moaned his name in her sleep, which was exactly what he needed to send him over the edge.

Panting heavily, Naruto leaned against the shower wall as the water completely washed away the remnants of his climax. He turned off the faucet as his breathing began to slow back down. He couldn't take it anymore; he had to tell her how he felt. If he didn't he would surely go insane sooner than later. It had been two years since Hinata had confessed her love to him, and he had never given her an answer. He wondered if she still felt the same way, or if she had given up on his hopeless obliviousness.

 _'Shit, I didn't bring a towel or any clothes in here with me!'_ Naruto realized. However, to his surprise, he noticed a towel hanging up on the rack, as well as a his mission clothes. Hinata must've left them for him after she had finished doing the laundry. The jinchuriki felt a warmth in his heart as a smile spread across his face. This was what it felt like to be cared by someone.

After drying off, Naruto pulled on his boxers and orange pants, followed by his white t-shirt. Hinata had fallen asleep in his black jacket, and the rest of his gear was in the kitchen. Kakashi had requested that although Naruto would be staying in the village to protect Hinata, he must still treat it like a mission. It was better to be prepared in the event of an attack, especially if they left his apartment. Regardless, Naruto didn't want to keep the poor girl cooped up inside like a prisoner. She had already gone through that once and he was not going to force her to do it again.

When Naruto emerged from the bathroom, he noticed that Hinata was in the kitchen, starting some water to make tea. She had gotten dressed as well, donning one of the outfits that Ino had brought her. Hinata wore a lilac-colored short-sleeved shirt, the fitted material clinging nicely to her curves, as well as a flowing white skirt that ended at her knees. The sight of her took the breath right out of Naruto, completely captivating him.

The indigo-haired girl turned and looked at him, a beautiful smile on her rosy lips. "Good morning, Naruto-kun." Judging by calmness, she evidently had no idea about what had happened earlier.

"Morning, Hinata," he replied, a light blush on his face as he approached her. "Did you sleep okay?"

She nodded. "I slept really well, actually. How about you?"

"Oh, uh, yeah! I slept like a rock," Naruto remarked with a laugh.

"Would you like any tea?" she questioned, opening up a cabinet to retrieve the teacups. When he didn't respond, she looked over at him, her lavender eyes locking with his blue ones. "Naruto-kun?"

The blond stared at her, his heart pounding rapidly once more. He couldn't let himself back out it; it was now or never. "Hinata...when you fought Pain, and told me how you felt about me...I never gave you an answer."

Taken aback by the abruptness of his words, Hinata's face turned bright red as she remembered her bold confession, thoroughly embarrassed. "Oh, um...i-it's okay, N-Naruto-kun. You didn't have t-to give me one," she stammered nervously as she dropped her gaze. "I-I just wanted to, um...tell you. Besides, I know you're in love with Sakura," she added, trying to hide the hurt she was feeling.

"Hinata."

She looked up once more, only to find herself backed up against the wall with Naruto's body only inches from hers. Blushing profusely, she remained silent as her crush peered down at her. He had his hands pressed against the wall either side of her, boxing her in as he felt the last of his hesitation melt away.

He smiled. "I do love Sakura as a friend, or even like a sister. But...I'm _in_ love with you, Hinata." With that, he gently cupped her face with both hands and bent down to bring his lips to hers.

Hinata was wide-eyed as he kissed her, stunned by his words. However, she soon relaxed as she gave in to his advances, closing her eyes with a soft moan. Naruto savored the way her warm, rosy lips felt against his, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her closer. His other hand found its way behind her head, his fingers feeling the silkiness of her hair. Hinata clutched onto his shirt, afraid she was going to faint at any moment.

Naruto eventually broke the kiss, and he looked down at the red-faced girl. "I'm sorry...but I couldn't help myself," he told her, his voice husky. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. Every time I'm with you, all I can think about is how happy you make me feel. You haven't even been here for forty-eight hours, but the time I've spent with you is the best I've ever had." He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "I'm a big idiot for not realizing it sooner."

Hinata continued to stare up at him, speechless as her mind tried to comprehend what was going on. Naruto had told her that he loved her, and then kissed her. This had to be a dream. "I...I love you, too," she finally murmured, her eyes brimming with tears. If this really was a dream, she hoped that she would never wake up.

The blond smiled and leaned down to kiss her again, this time more passionately. He couldn't get enough of the sweetness of her lips, finding them completely intoxicating. His fingers entwined with her long indigo locks, while his other arm remained around her waist as he held her close.

Hinata felt herself grow light-headed, and she feebly attempted to break the kiss. Naruto couldn't seem to stop, however, and he continued to dominate her lips with his.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata mewled weakly as he moved down to kiss her neck. If this kept up, she would surely faint.

Naruto held tight onto her fragile form, his body towering over hers as he continued to kiss her. Moments later, her knees gave away, and he quickly swept her up into his arms before she could collapse to the floor. It was then that he noticed her eyes were closed, a prominent blush on her otherwise peaceful face.

"Guess I went a little overboard," he remarked with a laugh as he gazed down at the unconscious girl. He carefully placed her on the couch, then went back into the kitchen. He collected his ninja tools, as well as his frog wallet from the counter. Since they had been stuck inside the previous day, he decided that he would take her out to breakfast. The rain had stopped, warm sunlight beginning to seep through the dissipating clouds.

Naruto put his forehead protector on, then turned to see Hinata slowly sitting up on the couch.

Hinata blinked with confusion for a moment as her eyes met his. "Naruto-kun? What just happened?"

He made his way towards the living room, a bit surprised. "Whoa, you woke up faster than I expected. And I'm pretty sure you know what happened," he added, snickering.

She blushed feverishly all over again, thoroughly embarrassed. "S-sorry. I tried to warn you..."

"Don't be sorry. It's cute," he remarked with a grin, before pausing for a moment. "So, I'm not sure how this works, but based on everything that just happened, is it safe to assume that you might be interested in being my girlfriend?" He sat down beside her, amused by her flustered expression.

Her face turned a deeper shade of red, speechless as she stared at the blond that she had always loved. _'I'm dreaming,'_ she thought to herself. Naruto actually wanted her to be his girlfriend. She regained her composure, and managed a slight nod as she forced the words out. "Y-yes. I would love to be your girlfriend."

Naruto matched her smile and leaned towards her to plant a soft kiss on her lips, his hand resting against the back of her head. Hinata returned his kiss, trying to control her nerves so she wouldn't faint again. Moments later, there was an audible growl, and Naruto broke the kiss as he laughed with embarrassment. "Uh, I guess I'm hungrier than I thought. Anyway, now that you're up, want to go get some breakfast? Since we couldn't go anywhere yesterday... And it's really nice out today."

Her blush began to fade and she nodded with delight. "Okay." She got off the couch and put on a pair of white sandals that Ino had brought her, while Naruto slipped his own sandals on.

Naruto locked the door behind them, then led Hinata towards the street, her hand enclosed in his larger one. "Don't worry, we're not getting ramen. That will be later."

Hinata smiled up at him sweetly. "I'll go anywhere that you want to go, Naruto-kun."

 _'Damn, she's so cute!'_ He gave her delicate hand a light squeeze. "Well, there's this new place that opened up a few weeks ago. Want to try it out?"

"Oh, I think I know the place that you're talking about," she mused. "I heard the food is amazing."

"Then it's settled," he replied jovially as he tugged her along.

 **That ends this fluffy chapter, and I hope you're ready for a bit of action in the one I will be posting next week. Sorry, but I had to officially get them together and didn't want to drag it out even further. Please review and the next chapter will be updated in exactly one week. Maybe even a day or two early if I get enough reviews ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi, I'm back again. I don't have much to say BUT I do want to mention that my laptop has been having issues lately. I think I've resolved them (or so I'm hoping) so there shouldn't be any issues. In the event that I do not post anything for a few weeks, and provide no explanation on my profile, then it's safe to assume that I had another issue to fix. Anyway, your reviews have been making really happy and motivated to continue this story without being a lazy fuck about it. On that note, please read and review this chapter. And please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes that I made.  
**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 12_

"Man, I'm stuffed..." Naruto mumbled as he trudged out of the restaurant. "I feel like I ate enough to sustain me for a week."

"Well, you did finish off four plates," Hinata pointed out, giggling. "I'm surprised. I've never seen you eat such a large of amount of food that isn't ramen."

He chuckled. "Yeah, it's kind of weird. But their food was awesome." He paused for a moment, his eyes locking with hers. "I'm glad that you were able to eat, too. You really haven't been eating, so I was getting worried."

"I'm fine," she replied warmly. "I just needed a few days to get my appetite back. I'm feeling a little better today than I did yesterday."

"Well, that's good to hear. Still though..." He leaned down closer to her, his hand resting against her cheek. "I just want to make sure you're okay. I don't want anything else to happen to you, Hinata." With that, he gently kissed her forehead, holding it for a few seconds before a sudden, high-pitched squeal caused them both to jump with surprise.

"Oh, my god!" Ino exclaimed dramatically, grabbing onto both Shikamaru and Chouji in a fit of excitement. "Am I seeing this with my own two eyes!?"

Kiba sniggered. "It's about time already. You're so clueless, Naruto."

"Dense is more like it," Sakura added with a sigh, though she was smiling ear to ear. "So, is it official?"

Naruto grinned cheekily and put an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, it is."

Hinata's face turned pink, but she nodded in agreement. She was still having a difficult believing it herself, though she had never felt happier in her entire life. Being with Naruto was all she ever wanted, and it had finally happened.

"Wow, Naruto, you sure work fast," Sai remarked. "Hinata has only stayed with you for a few days, right?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to become red in the face. "W-what's that supposed to mean? You sound like a pervert."

"Fast is the opposite of how long it took Naruto to realize it," Ino quipped.

"Naruto has always been a bit slow on the uptake," Chouji mused aloud.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "A bit slow? Wow, you're wording it a lot nicer than I would've."

"Hey, I'm standing right here, ya know!" Naruto snapped as the others laughed at him.

"But seriously, we're happy for you two," Sakura said cheerfully. "We were starting to place bets on how long it was going to take you to realize it."

Ino came up behind the blushing couple and put an arm around each of them. "And you're such a cute couple. Naruto, you'd better watch out. I saw a few guys passing by a minute ago who were staring at Hinata."

Naruto jerked and began to look around frantically. "What!? Where are they!?"

"Relax," she replied with a laugh. "I was just joking. No, but really, guys are noticing this one more and more. You'd better watch over her," she added as she gestured at Hinata.

"Ino," Hinata murmured with embarrassment, growing more flustered.

The blond snickered and pulled Hinata close, holding her head against his chest. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm not letting her out of my sight."

"Even when you two are showering and changing?" Sai asked as he tilted his head slightly with curiosity.

"Sai, what did I say about being a pervert!?" The jinchuriki hissed, releasing his hold on his mortified girlfriend.

Kiba crossed his arms with amusement. "C'mon, Naruto. Your master was a huge pervert himself, so you should be used to it by now."

"Oh, shut up," Naruto mumbled. "But you know what I mean." He glanced over his shoulder to see Shino standing a few feet behind him, nearly jumping out of his skin. "Dammit, Shino! Where the hell did you come from?"

"You only just now noticed that I am here, too?" Shino asked, a tone of disappointment in his voice.

"Naruto."

A familiar voice gained the attention of the entire group, and they turned to face the owner of it. Although it was Naruto's name that had been spoken, Sakura was the first to respond.

"Sasuke-kun?" she murmured, taking a step forward.

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a few seconds, his blue eyes with with surprise. Moments later, however, he broke into a grin as he stepped forward to greet his friend. "Sasuke, I didn't know you were in the village. How long have you been here?"

"I just arrived a short while ago," the raven-haired male responded stoically. "Kakashi-sensei asked me to come."

"Really? What for?" The blond questioned.

Sasuke closed the distance between them, keeping his voice low. "He wanted my help in the investigation. And I want you to come with me while I look into something."

"What is it? Where are you going?" Naruto asked.

"He wanted me to check out that facility where Hinata was being kept," he responded, his dark eyes darting at the indigo-haired girl for a moment. "He thinks that there may be something that the Anbu could have missed, so he requested my assistance. And I think you should go there with me."

Naruto nodded in understanding, though he felt a seething anger boil up inside him. Part of him didn't want to go to that wretched place, but at the same time, another urged him to join Sasuke. He felt that it was his responsibility to do whatever he could in the investigation, especially for Hinata's sake. "Okay, hold on a minute." With that, he turned and made his way towards Hinata and the others. "Hinata, I have to go with Sasuke for a little while to check something out," he explained to her. "Are you going to be okay if I leave you with these guys for a few hours?"

Hinata smiled up at him. "I'll be fine, Naruto-kun."

"Yeah, we'll take care of her," Ino chimed in. "So don't you worry about a thing."

"Besides, I think Hinata's safer with us than with an idiot like you," Kiba added with a laugh.

Naruto smirked. "You're such a bastard sometimes."

While the two continued to squabble, with an embarrassed Hinata gently trying to break them up, Sakura walked over to Sasuke. She stopped a few feet from the Uchiha, trying to hide her nervousness. "Hi, Sasuke-kun. Are...um...are you going to be staying in Konoha for the time being?"

"Until the investigation comes to an end, I will be staying at an inn down the street from here," he responded. "I'll be leaving once it's over."

"I see..." she murmured, her eyes dropping towards the ground. "Maybe before you leave...we could..." Her words trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. She didn't know why she was trying; Sasuke wouldn't be interested in hanging around for longer than necessary.

"Maybe. I'll see you later." He turned away and looked in Naruto's direction. "Naruto, we'd better get going so we can get this over with."

"Okay, hold on a second," the blond remarked, then turned his attention back to Hinata and smiled down at her. "I'll be back soon, okay?" With that, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips, ignoring the amused stares around them. "Don't let them drive you too crazy."

"If Hinata can deal with you, then being with us should be a walk in the park," Kiba snickered while Akamaru barked in agreement.

Naruto huffed. "Oh, shut up."

Everyone watched as Naruto and Sasuke headed towards the gates of the village, leaving Hinata in the care of their friends. Although it was important, Naruto wasn't happy about having to leave the indigo-haired girl behind. He couldn't help but feel paranoid about her safety, and he glanced over his shoulder to take one last look at her. Hinata met his gaze and smiled lovingly at him, her lavender eyes locking with his blue ones for a moment. Naruto returned a grin of his own and gave her a quick wave before disappearing around a corner.

Sasuke was quiet for a few moments before speaking up again. "So you're with Hinata now, huh? Decided to stop being such a dense moron?"

Naruto growled. "I'm not a moron. Well, maybe I am... But yeah, Hinata and I are together," he added jovially as his face lit up once more. "Anyway, Hinata's staying with me for the time being, since there are still some threats out there," Naruto explained to him. "Did Kakashi-sensei tell you everything?"

"Obviously," Sasuke responded with a sigh. "He told me about the mutilated bodies that were discovered, and about how you found Hinata after sensing her chakra. But her chakra level was much higher than normal, was it not? This was all through a message, as I have yet to meet with him in person. I will once we return."

Naruto nodded, his thoughts going back to the day before when she had been napping. "Yeah. Hinata has some strong chakra, but that was way beyond anything I've sensed from her."

"Well, let's see what we can find at the facility. The Anbu have already confiscated everything, but there's a chance that they could've missed some important clues," Sasuke pointed out. "We'll report our findings to Kakashi-sensei once we finish." He paused for a brief moment. "Are you mentally prepared for what we could find?"

Naruto nodded, keeping his gaze forward. "I'll be fine."

"I'm surprised that no one is patrolling this area," Sasuke mused as he and Naruto closed in on their destination. "You would think a member of the Anbu would be keeping watch over this place."

"Well, they've already confiscated everything inside, and it would be stupid of those guys if they actually came back here," Naruto pointed out. "All of their stuff is gone, and it's not like they can transport anything new without being seen. But yeah, I guess you do have a point."

The damaged tree that had been concealing the hideout had been completely demolished by the Anbu, no longer covering the stairway that would lead them downwards. After a moment of hesitation, Naruto began his descent down the staircase with Sasuke right behind him.

"You haven't been down here, have you?" Sasuke's words seemed to be more of a statement than an actual question.

The blond shook his head, going deeper underground. He could see a metal door awaiting them at the bottom of the steps, and he took a deep breath. "No, this is my first time," he replied in a hollow voice. Moments later, he reached the awaiting door and cautiously opened it, almost holding his breath as he steeled himself. It was dark, and he squinted as he tried to see his surroundings, his hand feeling along the wall. His fingers brushed up against a switch, and he flicked it up to turn on the lights.

The first thing Naruto and Sasuke noticed was that they stood in a hallway that was completely white, almost blinding them combined with the illumination of the light. However, a more disturbing detail was what caught their attention. The Anbu had cleaned up the majority of the carnage that had been left, but they had been unable to completely remove the stains. They could see streaks and splatters of pale maroon along the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. It trailed down the entire length of the hallway, disappearing around a corner. There were several dull spots on the floor that indicated pools of blood that had been mopped up but not completely cleared away. Although the brunt of the mess was gone, the aftermath left behind a sinister eeriness.

"Holy shit..." Naruto's blue eyes were wide with shock as he looked around.

"Looks like it was quite the carnage," the raven-haired male remarked. "For now, let's go through all of the rooms of this place. I don't know how many there are, but we'll have to search through all of them. You're not the most observant person, so make sure you actually pay attention to details."

Naruto threw him a dirty look. "Shut up! I'm not a complete idiot, ya know."

"I beg to differ," Sasuke mumbled.

"Bastard," the jinchurki growled as he opened the first door to his left, thus beginning the search.

The first eight doors that were checked were all empty of course, and didn't seem as though anything had been forgotten during the raid. With all of the equipment gone, Naruto and Sasuke couldn't tell what the rooms had actually been used for, though all of them remained free from any blood stains. It seemed that the violent incident had taken place solely within the corridor.

"Wonder what's in here." Naruto pulled open the heavy metal door of the ninth room and peered inside, feeling his heart skip a beat a moment later. He silently entered the room, almost immediately feeling a chill in his bones. The bright lights in the hallway enabled him to make out the features. Unlike the rest of the rooms, which had all been the same unsettling whiteness, this one appeared to be a chamber of some sort. The tools had been removed from the walls, and Naruto could make out a pair of cuffs that hung from the ceiling, as the Anbu had been unable to pull the chains free. "What the hell..." His eyes darted over to hard walls, where he noticed more splatters of blood.

"I'm assuming that this is where the majority of the torture took place," Sasuke spoke up as he scanned the otherwise bare room.

Naruto said nothing, his hands clenching tightly into fists as he felt a rush of anger once more. He kept telling himself to stay calm, but it was almost impossible. All he could think about was Hinata and the torturous hell that she had gone through. This was the room where most of that had taken place, and knowing that made his blood boil as his eyes began to turn red.

"Naruto. Keep it together," the Uchiha remarked, his Sharingan activated. "You need to remain calm and stay focused. Getting mad isn't going to help us in this investigation."

"I know," Naruto snapped with frustration. "Everyone keeps telling me to stay calm. I get what they're coming from, but it's really annoying. How can I not be mad?"

Sasuke sighed. "I understand that. But right now, just try to keep it together so that we can get out of here. So far we've found nothing and there doesn't seem to be anything in this room either. Let's move on to the next."

xxxXXXxxx

"I can't believe that you and Naruto are finally together!" Ino exclaimed for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

Hinata blushed, but smiled with delight. "I-I know, it feels like a dream. I still can't believe it..." Her voice trailed off, her heart fluttering. Being with Naruto was all she had ever wanted, and the thought of it filled her with a happiness that she had never felt before.

"I'm just glad we didn't have to pull that idiot aside and smack him," Kiba added with a laugh.

"By the way, you look really cute in that outfit," the blonde female added cheekily. "I could practically see Naruto drooling over you. I want to take you to get another hot ensemble!"

Hinata's face turned even redder. "Oh, no, that's fine, Ino. You've already gotten me so much stuff. I'll make sure I pay you back and-"

"Think nothing of it," Ino cut her off with a dismissive wave. "You don't owe me anything."

"B-but-" Hinata attempted to protest, only to be interrupted once more by her friend.

"But nothing. Now let's go!" With that, Ino grabbed Hinata's wrist and began to tug her towards a store with the rest of the group in tow.

Shikamaru sighed and sweat-dropped. "Ino, take it easy. Hinata can't keep up with your overzealous shopping habits."

"I hope she doesn't make us carry a bunch of bags..." Chouji added quietly.

Ino smirked and glanced back at them over her shoulder. "Well, at least I have five of you that can carry the bags in case it's necessary. Between you two, Sai, Kiba, and Shino, we can go to as many stores as we want without worrying about it being too much to carry."

"Hey, why do we have to get stuck doing that?" Kiba complained.

"I-it's fine," Hinata again tried to diffuse the situation. "I really don't need any more stuff."

Sakura barely registered what the conversation was about, her mind stuck on Sasuke. She hadn't seen him since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, as he had left almost immediately after recovering.

"I wonder if he was even happy to see me..." she mused quietly to herself.

"Ino, I'm not a pack mule!" Kiba angrily told the blonde as she tugged Hinata to an area with a large display of clothing out in front of the shop. "Are you even listening to me!?"

Shikamaru sighed as they trailed behind his excited teammate. "You're wasting your breath. Better to just be quiet and accept things as they are. Even if they are quite troublesome..."

"Maybe Naruto would like to see Hinata in this?" Sai held up a short red dress with a plunging neckline.

Ino released Hinata's wrist and studied the article. "Hmm...that's nice...but maybe a bit too soon into the relationship."

"Didn't you just buy some lingerie for Hinata?" Sakura asked as she once again became part of the conversation.

"Yeah, that is true..." Ino mused as she took the dress from Sai to look at it more closely. "This would look great on her."

Sai held up a second one. "They have one in black, too."

"Okay, I really don't think Hinata wants to wear something like that. Not only that, but Naruto's a pervert, even if he won't admit it. How do you think he'll react when he sees that?" Kiba chimed in.

"Oh, he's not that bad," Ino replied dismissively as she compared the two dresses.

Kiba snorted. "That's what you think."

"Maybe Hinata would prefer something like this," Shino said quietly as he looked at a long dress with a yellow floral pattern.

"Not you, too!" the dog-nin complained.

Ino and Sakura grimaced as they looked at the dress. "Ugh, no, that's ugly," they remarked in unison.

Shino sulked in defeat. "Why do I try?"

Shikamaru simply gave him a pat on the shoulder as Chouji stood beside them opening a second bag of chips.

"Wait a minute." Sakura scanned the area for a few seconds, her green eyes wide. "Where's Hinata?"

Everyone looked around, realizing that their indigo-haired was no longer with them. None of them had even noticed her separating from the group and they exchanged worried looks.

"Oh, no, we lost Hinata!" Ino exclaimed dramatically.

"Calm down," Shikamaru said. "She's gotta be around here somewhere."

Ino continued to panic. "Hinata! Where are you!?"

"I'm right here." Hinata stood about fifteen feet away from them, a slightly confused expression on her face. "S-sorry, I was just looking at something and I guess you didn't see me."

"Oh, no, it's fine," Ino replied with an embarrassed laugh. "Guess I just got nervous. I didn't want to have to explain to Naruto that I lost his girlfriend. Anyway, take a look at this dress! It's in two different colors!"

xxxXXXxxx

"We've searched this whole place up and down, and we didn't find anything," Naruto complained. "I mean, I don't know what we actually expected to find in the first place, but now I just feel like we've wasted our time."

Sasuke pondered for a moment, his eyes scanning along the walls and the floor. This was the last room and, like the rest, had turned up absolutely no results. "Wait a minute... There's a door here." His fingers skimmed along the wall.

"Where?" Naruto frowned and studied the wall as his friend traced along it. "There's nothing there."

"No, it's definitely here, but there's a seal on it to keep it hidden from the naked eye. I'm only able to see it because of my Sharingan," Sasuke replied.

The blond's eyes widened. "Really? They must be hiding something important then. Can you open it?"

"The seal is also keeping the door locked, in addition to hiding it from view. In order to unlock it, the seal must be removed by whoever placed it."

Naruto smirked. "Then we'll break it down by force."

Despite being a reasonably powerful seal, the jinchuriki managed to demolish the entire wall without much difficulty, now no longer worrying about opening up a measly door. The room on the other side of the wall was very small in comparison to the rest in the facility. Sasuke measured it to be roughly ten feet by twelve, with the ceiling reaching only about twelve feet in height. Its only feature was a trap door in the center of the floor, secured with a heavy padlock.

"Looks like we finally found something," Naruto remarked with glee as he entered the tiny space, his hand glowing with orange chakra. He destroyed the lock with one hit and took hold of the handle, yanking the heavy door open. That was when the repulsive odor hit them, and Naruto immediately jumped back a bit as he grimaced with disgust. "Ugh! It stinks!" The smell was making his eyes water and he felt his stomach churn with nausea as he tried to block his nose and mouth. "It smells like something died down there!"

Sasuke covered the lower part of his face, squinting as he took a step forward to see what was down there, a flame in his palm to illuminate it. "You're not wrong..."

"W-what!?" Naruto peered down into the opening, trying to block out the disgusting odor that continued to permeate the air.

About thirty feet below the trap door was a pit, and they could see decaying corpses piled together in the center of it. It was difficult to tell how many there were, but Sasuke confirmed at least six, with some of the bodies in pieces.

"What the hell..." Naruto's voice trailed off, his blues wide as he continued to stare down into the lower ground level. "Are those...?"

"They might be," Sasuke answered. "We'll report this to Kakashi-sensei and have the Anbu deal with this. We can't confirm it yet, but those could be the bodies of the other missing shinobi."

Without another word, Naruto turned and left the room, unable to take the revolting smell any longer. Sasuke followed him, neither of them speaking a word until they had exited the facility and breathed in the fresh air from outside.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick," Naruto groaned, leaning against a tree as he held his stomach. "That's so gross. Why would they keep a bunch of rotting corpses down there? Wouldn't it be easier just to burn them?"

"Stop complaining," Sasuke replied. "It's a good thing they didn't, or else we wouldn't have found them. Maybe they wanted to keep the bodies for something. Regardless, we need to get back and report our findings immediately."

Naruto let out another pained groan. "Give me a minute. I'm trying not to puke..."

xxxXXXxxx

"Where the hell is that useless bastard?" The red-haired girl grumbled to herself as she surveyed the area high from within the trees. She was completely hidden in sight, both her body and chakra concealed in secrecy. Such abilities had granted Reiko in ways that other shinobi would've dreamed of. Not only could she completely hide her chakra, but her physical body was able to completely blend into its surroundings. It was those reasons why Kusanagi had wanted her to join his cause in the first place. She was perfect when it came to infiltration.

 _"You and Mikoto allowed her to escape, and from what I've heard, she's returned to her village," Kusanagi had scolded them once he'd discovered upon his return. "Even with your abilities, infiltrating Konoha will be near impossible. If we have any hopes of recapturing her, we need to get her outside the village somehow."_

 _"And how the fuck are we supposed to do that?" Reiko had angrily demanded in response. "We can't get into the village, and I doubt she'll try to leave. We might as well just give up."_

 _"No!" He'd snapped. "You two idiots lost our most valuable test subject! Do you have any idea just how important she was!? I was this close! And you two screwed it all up!" Kusanagi had screamed in such a way that took both Reiko and Mikoto aback, before recomposing himself. "I don't care how you do it. Find a way to somehow get the Hyuga girl out of the village and bring her back to the location I told you. If you mess this up again, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?"_

Reiko growled in frustration. "How the fuck are we supposed to do that? And Mikoto's not even fucking here yet, so now I get to wait around in a damn tree until his dumb ass shows up."

Besides, it wasn't their fault that Hinata had somehow managed to escape. Not one bit. It was Kusanagi's fault for deciding to leave during that time, so all the blame should've gone to him. It was his experiment. His lab. His test subject. Now all of it was completely fucked up, and she and Mikoto were left to pick up the broken pieces.

Reiko was about to gripe to herself once more when she caught movement from the distance. She was about three miles away from Konoha, waiting for Mikoto's arrival, and for a moment, she wondered if it was him. Squinting, she remained hidden in the trees as she watched the figure gradually come closer, waiting with anticipation. Moments later, she paled a bit as she recognized Hinata making her way down the path. "No fucking way..."

Hinata leisurely continued forward, seemingly oblivious to the girl hidden in the trees. Her gaze remained straight ahead, the light breeze gently blowing her hair and flowing white skirt.

"What the fuck..." Reiko gaped down with shocked disbelief. Why on earth had Hinata left the village, alone for that matter? "Is she suicidal or just dumb?" she murmured in a nearly inaudible voice.

Part of Reiko felt as though she had hit the jackpot. She and Mikoto had tried to think of ways to somehow lure the girl out of the village, and now here she was in plain view. It was almost too good to be true. At the same time, however, she couldn't help but feel herself consumed by a paralyzing fear that seemed to freeze her in her spot. After what had happened, it was difficult not to. Mikoto still hadn't arrived and she debated on what she should do.

The redhead watched intently for a few more minutes, every so often jumping onto another tree to keep pace with Hinata, never taking her eyes off of her. _'She doesn't know about my abilities, so I should be able to sneak up on her and knock her out. Once I do that, I'll just have to wait until that useless bastard Mikoto shows up. Then he can help me bring her back so that Kusanagi will shut the fuck up about this whole thing,'_ she thought to herself. Kurome had supplied them with tranquilizers to help subdue the indigo-haired girl.

As Hinata continued to venture further down the path, away from the village, Reiko kept up with her silent debate. _'This is too suspicious. Why would she leave the village if she knows that we're probably looking for her? I don't fucking get it. But she's literally right there, so now's probably my only chance to get her. There's no one else around from what I can see, so I should do it now while I still can.'_ She silently crept closer to the unsuspecting Hyuga, remaining hidden as she kept her chakra suppressed. By now she was only about fifty feet up off the ground, gradually getting closer.

Making her decision, Reiko glanced away to remove the tranquilizer from her pocket, pulling the protective cap off. When she returned her attention to Hinata, however, the indigo-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. _'Wait, where the fuck did she go!?'_ She looked around frantically.

"I see you," a soft voice suddenly whispered into Reiko's ear from behind, followed by a shove.

Screaming, Reiko fell from the tree and landed on the ground with a thud, her body visible once more as her concentration broke. She cried out in pain, her eyes squeezed shut, before sensing movement above her. Reiko's eyes snapped open to see Hinata standing over her, a faint smile on her lips, and she gaped up at her in shock. When did she...? How did she...?

"Reiko...it's been awhile," Hinata mused, gazing down at her.

The redhead was speechless, and she was vaguely aware that during her fall, she had lost the tranquilizer. Her breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat as Hinata continued to stare down at her, her lavender eyes seemingly darker than usual.

The small, amused smile remained on Hinata's lips as she lowered herself down, now straddling the petrified Reiko. "How have you been?" She received only stunned silence. "What's wrong? You're never this quiet."

"H...h-how did y-you..." Reiko choked out, the impact from her fall making it difficult to function.

Hinata tilted her head slightly. "How did I know you were there? It's as I said...I could see you." She leaned down a bit closer. "Even if you try to conceal your chakra, I can still find you. How else would I have known to come here?"

Reiko remained bewildered. "Y-you _knew_ I was here?"

"Mikoto's around somewhere, too, but...I can greet him later. For now, I want to get reacquainted with you," she remarked with a feigned cheerfulness as she drew back once more.

The redhead could barely comprehend what was happening. The tables had turned so suddenly that she still couldn't grasp how it had happened."H-how far away were you where you could sense my chakra?" Reiko hissed.

"I sensed you when I was in Konoha, so about three miles back," she replied nonchalantly. "Even with you attempting to conceal it from me, I still was able to find you without any difficulty. I'm surprised you're not more happy to see me. You _were_ looking for me, were you not?"

"W-what are you going to do to me?" Reiko glowered up at her, swallowing a lump in her throat.

Hinata simply smiled. "Reiko...what am I _not_ going to do to you?"

xxxXXXxx

"That damn Reiko's always going off on her own..." Mikoto griped to himself as he navigated through the forest. He hated this. He hated the fact that he had to go through with this ridiculous plan with such an unreliable partner.

The male had managed to conceal his own chakra, but unlike Reiko, couldn't hide his physical body. With the high possibility of being recognized, he'd had no choice but to don a disguise as he made his way towards Konoha. He didn't know if this crazy plan would even work in the first place, but Kusanagi had pushed the subject unrelentingly. Sneaking into the village would be impossible due to its barrier, but Kusanagi had insisted that there was no ban on travelers entering. Mikoto wasn't so sure, but here he was, wandering around aimlessly as he looked for the redhead.

"This thing fucking itches," he muttered, scratching at the false beard that he'd been forced to wear. A straw hat covered his black hair, and he hoped that he'd look inconspicuous enough where he wouldn't draw much attention. Fortunately, he had not encountered any other people, much to his relief. Since Reiko had concealed herself, it was impossible for him track her, and he cursed under his breath. "She's such a bitch..." He'd been complaining to himself aloud for the past half hour, not liking the silence as he continued to search for her.

Mikoto spotted a river off to the side, slowly making his way over with a tired sigh. He sat down on the ground beside it, and pulled the scratchy beard off his face and discarded it on the ground. Not a single person had come along, so there should be no harm if he took it off just for a few minutes. He splashed some water onto his face, washing the sweat that had begun to drip down.

"Reiko...where the fuck are you?"

 **Okay, that wraps up the chapter and I promise that the next one will be even more exciting. And gorier. So, on that note, please review and I hope to update again in a week. Thank you for the reviews so far, and they are the reason why I continue to update as quickly as I can.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, I finished this chapter a day early, and because I'm going to be busy as fuck dealing with annoying relatives tomorrow, I decided to post it now. I'm still hoping to update on a regular weekly basis, but it might take me longer since my work hours changed and I don't have as much time as I originally did. Plus, I'm working on my second story as well. As far as the lemon compilation, I don't feel like stressing myself out by starting it while I still have those stories that I'm working on. I will probably be able to start it after the New Year, but I can't say exactly when. Anyway, thanks for being patient and listen to me ramble (unless you skipped over all this bullshit).  
**

 **WARNING: Chapter contains strong violence and gore. Viewer discretion is advised.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 13_

Reiko fearfully stared up at Hinata, her body frozen as her gaze was locked with the indigo-haired girl's. She tried to move her arms, finding herself unable to. Why couldn't she move her body? Had the impact of the fall damaged her spine and caused paralysis?

"I hit your chakra points right before I pushed you and rendered you unable to utilize your chakra," Hinata explained to her, as if reading her mind. "I also applied pressure to your muscles and nerves, so you won't be able to move. But you'll still be able to feel _everything_."

The redhead was speechless, Hinata's words hitting her hard as she paled in the face. "What do you mean by that!?" She was trying her hardest to conceal her terror, though the Hyuga remained undeterred by her harshness.

"It's just as I said," Hinata replied patiently as a small smile graced her lips. "Unfortunately, I don't have two full weeks to torment you. So it looks like I'll have to fit two weeks worth of pain into about ten minutes."

"Y-you're lying!" Reiko shouted, even as her fear continued to escalate. "You won't kill me. I got away from you last time, and I'll do it again!"

Hinata appeared amused. "You got away because I allowed you to. If I had really wanted to kill you, you would've been dead the moment I grabbed your wrist. But I decided to wait and take my time with you the next time I see you. Ten minutes doesn't sound like much, but I will utilize the time well..."

The girl beneath her was visibly shaking, desperately willing her body to move. Yet she remained motionless on the cold, hard ground, unable to move a muscle.

"You remember that day, don't you?" Hinata questioned. "You ran out pretty quick, but I think you saw enough to get the idea of what happened."

Reiko did remember, though she wished that she hadn't. The thought alone sent chills down her spine as the nightmare replayed in her head, as it had done several times since the day of the carnage.

 _Flashback_

 _The heavy door swung open and Reiko entered the room, a small box in her hand. With a smirk she closed the door behind her and sauntered over to the indigo-haired girl._

 _"Are you ready for the next round?" the redhead taunted, crouching down in front of Hinata. "You're in for a real treat this time. There are over a hundred needles in this box, so let's see how many we can use." When Hinata did not respond, Reiko frowned and smacked her across the face. "Hey! Are you listening?"_

 _Hinata had no reaction, her head tilted downwards and her silky long hair concealing part of her face like a curtain._

 _"Oh, don't tell me that you fucking passed out," Reiko griped. "Wake the hell up!" She struck her again, harder this time. "Listen to me!" The Hyuga remained unresponsive, angering Reiko even further. "I SAID WAKE UP, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" She went to slap her a third time, yet before her hand made contact with the girl's cheek, her wrist was suddenly grabbed mid-air. "What the...?!"_

 _Slowly, Hinata raised her head to meet Reiko's surprised gaze, her lavender eyes void of emotion. Her hand tightly squeezed the redhead's wrist, who attempted to wrench herself free from the unexpected grip._

 _Struggling against the vice-grip, Reiko hissed. "L-let go! How the hell are you still able to move? We injected you with-". Yet the words died on her lips as Hinata's frightening stare seemed to freeze her blood. It was then that a thin smile crept across Hinata's rosy lips and Rei_ _ko let out a piercing scream._

 _A burning sensation seared though Reiko's wrist as Hinata kept her hold on it, her blue chakra eating away at her skin. With a desperate yank, the redhead freed herself from the agonizing grasp, falling backwards onto the floor. With wide eyes, she held her damaged wrist as she watched Hinata slowly rise to a stand. How could this be possible? The paralyzing agent should've immobilized her._

 _Overcome by sheer terror, Reiko scrambled up and ran out of the room, and Hinata could hear her yelling as she banged on the other doors in the corridor._

 _"This is a Code X! Get out here NOW!" The red-haired girl shrieked. "Mikoto!"_

 _Hinata emerged from the room, as Reiko had left it wide open in her state of panic. She watched as the rest of the doors flung open, and people began to run into the hallway. They all wore lab coats, but each of them was armed with kunai, ready to strike the moment she moved.  
_

 _The indigo-haired girl remained still, her face unreadable as she stared at the group of wary men and women before her._

 _"Don't fucking move!" Reiko yelled from the back. "I'll have them kill you the second you take a step forward!"_

 _"Reiko! Kusanagi-san said to incapacitate her, not kill her. We can't have them kill her," Mikoto snapped at her._

 _She growled. "Shut up! I'm not dealing with this bitch anymore."_

 _Hinata paused for several seconds, aware of the silent fear they were emitting. The fear turned to panic when her body became enveloped in churning blue chakra, which tinted to an even darker shade as it grew more intense._

 _"Don't just stand there!" Reiko yelled. "Go!"_

 _Hinata's Byakugan activated just as one of the workers lunged at her, intending to stab her with his kunai. Instead, she grabbed hold of his wrist with one hand and his throat in her other. Crying out in pain, he dropped his weapon as the chakra burned against his skin. Hinata placed her palm against his chest, only for his heart and surrounding organs to suddenly explode out his back in a bloody mess. He spluttered blood and collapsed to the ground as she pulled away, a puddle forming around his still body.  
_

 _A chain reaction of hysteria commenced as the others began a flurry of attacks in a desperate attempt to ward her off. The kunais they threw at her were easily deflected as she slowly began to make her way towards them, the lights flickering. She then suddenly disappeared from their view, and everyone remained dead silent for a few moments. Just as Reiko was about to demand that she show herself, an ear-shattering scream caused everyone to jump. Hinata had come up behind one of the workers, her hands pressed up against the sides of his head as more sapphire blue chakra pumped from her body. Moments later, his head exploded in a mess, and she let his body fall as she made her way to the next person._

 _Reiko and Mikoto watched with horror as Hinata tore through the group, maneuvering at such a high speed that they couldn't track her movements. Shrieks filled the corridor as blood painted the floor, walls, and ceiling, staining everything red. Hinata fired off flurry of her Air Pulse attacks, ripping off limbs and caving in the heads of another trio of workers. It seemed that no matter how many weapons or jutsus they used, Hinata effortlessly evaded their attacks. She side-stepped a thick jet-stream of water, then manipulated it with her chakra to send it right back at them. The water had formed into needles, hundreds of them penetrating two more people. A kunai embedded into her side, and she turned her head to face her attacker, quickly placing one hand on his face and the other against his chest. Almost immediately, both his brain and his heart exploded within his body, causing his body to rip open from the force. His mutilated body toppled to the ground, blood pooling around him. She made no move to remove the ninja tool from her body, seemingly unfazed by it.  
_

 _The screams and yells continued as Reiko and Mikoto fled from the hallway, making their way towards the exit of the facility. They had seen enough of the massacre to know that they did not want to become a part of it. Their speed quickened once they heard the last scream die out as Hinata ruthlessly finished off the last person. Twelve people. She had slaughtered twelve people in a matter of seconds._

 _Hinata looked around at the carnage for a moment, her lavender eyes void of emotion as she stared at the blood. Organs and severed limbs were among the sickening mess, some of which dripped from the formerly white ceiling. Smiling lightly, Hinata leisurely headed towards the direction that Reiko and Mikoto had sped off to. She was unperturbed by their escape, and she slowly ascended the staircase that would lead her up and out of the facility. Her body seemed to move on its own as she reached the hollowed tree that hid it. A burst of navy blue chakra destroyed the tree, no longer blocking the way as Hinata went up the last step. She walked away from the area, vaguely sensing Reiko and Mikoto's chakra as they furthered the distance between them. Rather than pursue them, the indigo-haired girl simply continued to walk, almost in a daze._

 _Hinata finally reached a clearing and stopped, carelessly glancing down at the kunai that protruded from her side. Her chakra spiked one last time, completely covering her body in a churning cloak of dark blue. Seconds later, it returned to its usual, light blue color, before dissipating entirely. She slowly turned back and looked at the direction that she'd come from, before falling to knees. With a small sigh she closed her eyes and toppled over onto her side as her strength rapidly deteriorated, completely losing consciousness.  
_

 _End flashback_

"Now then," Hinata spoke calmly, reaching for a kunai that Reiko had lost during her fall. "As I've said, I don't have an entire two weeks to play with you. So I'll have to condense it just a bit." She got off of Reiko and knelt beside her, using the kunai to cut the shirt from the redhead's body.

"Stop it!" Reiko shrieked, the fabric separating and exposing bra-less chest.

Hinata traced the tip of the kunai along her bare torso, slowly dragging it up along her pale skin until she reached her throat. "I could cut your vocal cords, but I've decided that I'd rather hear your screams. You wanted to hear mine, so it's only fair, is it not?" She smiled gleefully as the sharp tool began to rake down into Reiko's flesh.

Reiko shrieked as the kunai cut through her skin, blood seeping from the cut that Hinata administered. "STOP IT! FUCKING STOP IT!"

"Maybe I _should_ cut your vocal cords out," Hinata mused as she brought it to her throat once more. "Then you can scream as much as you want without anyone else hearing you. But...I want to know just how much this agonizes you." The kunai sank into the redhead, leaving a second laceration. "If I really wanted to, I could simply twist your limbs off one by one. But I find this method to be more satisfying. Just as you did, I will avoid any fatal points." She dug down deeper, blood splattering from the paralyzed girl and onto her clothing. Hinata felt a small splash land on her cheek, but she paid no attention to it. Her eyes never left Reiko, and the kunai continued to drag along her body, screams echoing deep within the forest.

xxxXXXxxx

"I still feel like hell," Naruto groaned as he and Sasuke headed back towards Konoha.

"It's not every day that you locate a pit of corpses," Sasuke replied, glancing over at him. "And to think it was only about six miles away from the village."

The blond growled. "That seriously pissed me off when I found out. Hinata was literally right under our noses and we didn't..." his voice trailed off, his blue eyes downcast.

"Well, you got her back, alive for that matter, so you should think about it that way. What's done is done, so now all you can do is help her recover. And what's this I hear about her staying with you?"

"Oh, yeah. It's my job to protect her, and I figured that it would be best for her to stay at my place," Naruto explained, suddenly cheerful once more.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment. "It wasn't because her father didn't want her to come back?"

"He seems to think that she was the one who killed those people," he responded with a hint of annoyance.

"But is he wrong?" The Uchiha paused for a moment, meeting his friend's gaze. "What do you think really happened? I know that you don't want to come out and say it, but we both know-"

"Sasuke," Naruto cut him off, a serious tone in his voice as he ended the conversation. "Not now. Anyway, I gotta go take a leak. That river over there is making it worse."

Sasuke sighed as the jinchuriki disappeared into a more secluded location, away from the stream that was barely visible through the trees. While he waited for Naruto to take care of his business, he looked back over to where the river was. Frowning, he began to make his way over, quietly maneuvering though the trees. As he got closer, he noticed a man sitting beside the river, his back turned.

"Hey. Who are you?" Sasuke inquired.

Mikoto jumped, cursing under his breath. He had dozed off and hadn't realized that anyone was around, his disguise sitting leisurely beside him on the ground. _'I fucked up,'_ he thought to himself, refusing to turn around.

"I asked you a question," Sasuke said, taking another step closer. "Who are you?"

Muttering to himself, Mikoto heaved himself up and turned around to face the stranger before him. "I'm just traveling and happened to pass through," he explained in a feigned, friendly tone.

"What's with the disguise?" The Uchiha nodded at the fake beard and hat on the ground.

"Sometimes I just want to go somewhere without people I know bothering me," he lied.

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed. "Is that what you're claiming?"

Mikoto stiffened, now on edge. "What's your problem? Are you looking to start something?"

"You just seem highly suspicious," he remarked stoically. "You seem anxious all of a sudden."

"Oh, fuck off. I don't need this shit," Mikoto snarled back.

Naruto could hear Sasuke speaking to someone as he emerged from the secluded area he had been in. "Who's he talking to?" he wondered aloud as he approached the scene, curious. He maneuvered around the trees, able to see the river and two figures as he closed in on him. "Sasuke, what's going on?" he asked, gaining their attention.

"Nothing, your friend here is being a nosy little bastard," Mikoto spat, clearly agitated.

Naruto's gaze locked on the man for a moment, scanning over his features. Within seconds, he'd recognized the man from one of the photographs shown to him. Something inside him snapped, and his eyes immediately changed from blue to bright crimson, his canines sharpening at the same time. He had only felt such an intense anger like this once before, only this time, the fox did not take over. He had lost his mind after Pain had nearly killed Hinata, and now that same vicious bloodthirst coursed through his veins in an instant. His rage reached an all-time high and he pounced at lightening speed.

Before either Sasuke or Mikoto realized it, Naruto was already upon Hinata's tormentor, his body cloaked in a churning, fire-orange chakra. The blond barreled him into a tree, several hundred feet away, mercilessly pummeling into the unsuspecting man. Naruto paused just long enough to grab him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. He drove his fists into him over and over again, using all of his brute strength without the need to add Kurama's. Sasuke watched in stunned silence as Naruto continued to brutally beat Mikoto, blood splashing onto him after each punch he'd administered. Mikoto feebly attempted to push the enraged jinchuriki away, but was completely overpowered as he lay there, coughing up blood. Naruto kept up the assault, his red eyes wild as he glowered down at the man, whom was struggling to block the attacks. He remembered the welts that covered Hinata's back. The bruises all over her body. The entire, hellish ordeal that she had suffered.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Naruto roared, feeling bones break and crush after each devastating punch. More blood splattered onto the blond's face, his entire being consumed by hatred as he relentlessly continued his barrage of attacks.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called to his friend as he approached him. He had never seen Naruto in such a violent fit of rage. Even when the two had fought each other, Sasuke had never witnessed this side of the normally mild-mannered blond. It was as if the fox demon had taken over Naruto's body, but the Uchiha knew better. Naruto's emotions were running rampant, hellbent on destroying the pathetic man who cowered beneath him. Sasuke attempted to grab his friend's shoulder, only to be sent back several feet.

Naruto had viciously shrugged him off, refusing to let up even as Mikoto stopped struggling. Countless bones had been crushed and destroyed, and by now the young man was covered in blood. Naruto didn't care, however, and refused to let up as he kept up his ruthless attack. Mikoto stopped moving altogether, but that didn't deter the blond as he continued to drive his fists into the the limp body over and over again, his hits so powerful that they caused fissures in the ground beneath Mikoto's body. This man had been partially responsible for the hell that Hinata had been put through, so even as he lay there, obviously dead, Naruto didn't let up on the merciless assault.

Only when Sasuke roughly grabbed him by his black jacket and forcefully yanked him off did he finally quit. "Naruto, stop!"

Naruto stared down at the corpse, panting heavily as his heart continued to race with adrenaline. His face and jacket were splattered with blood, his crimson eyes gazing at the deceased man with disgust. His left hand was coated with blood, and the bandages on his right had become saturated with more of Mikoto's life fluid. Sasuke remained quiet as Naruto's breathing gradually slowed back down, the cloak of orange chakra receding from his body.

Even though Mikoto was dead, the rage inside Naruto had dwindled only slightly. Without a word, he turned and walked over to the river, crouching down in front of it. He dipped his left hand into the water, washing away the blood that coated it. There was really nothing he could do about the stained bandages on his other arm, and he would have to change them when he got home. He removed his forehead protector, then began to splash some water onto his face to clean off the blood that had splattered onto it.

While his friend cleaned himself off, Sasuke surveyed the bruised, mangled corpse on the ground. The face was completely destroyed beyond recognition, and if he hadn't stopped Naruto, he doubted that there would've been anything left of the man's body. The mess of broken bones and blood that remained wasn't that far off, save for the limbs.

Naruto wiped the bloody specks off his forehead protector and put it back on, then rose to his feet. He turned to face Sasuke, his expression serious. "Kakashi-sensei wanted these guys captured alive, if possible. I wasn't supposed to kill him," he spoke in a low, deep voice. "But I'm glad that I did, and I don't care that I didn't follow those orders. After what he did to Hinata...there was no way in _fucking_ hell I was going to bring him back alive," he added with a growl. His jacket was still stained with blood, but luckily it was not visible within the black material. His eyes reverted to their original blue color, but he was still seething.

Sasuke glanced back down at the corpse once more. "We'll just pretend that we never saw him." His Mangekyo Sharingan activated. "Amaterasu."

Mikoto's body immediately became engulfed in black flames, quickly deteriorating at a rapid speed. Within seconds, not a single ash of him remained.

"I haven't seen what these people look like, so I'll look at the pictures when I report to Kakashi-sensei. There are three people left, so we'll have to hunt them down if they don't come to Hinata first."

Naruto smirked sadistically. "I won't let them get near her. Now come on. The sooner we get back, the better-" His voice cut off as he suddenly sensed a familiar, yet powerful chakra. It seemed to be coming from a few miles away, towards Konoha. "Sasuke."

"I noticed," the raven-haired male responded, looking at his friend. "Is that...?"

"It's Hinata's," Naruto replied, confirming his suspicions.

The two of them rushed as fast as they could through the forest, quickly closing the distance between them and the intense chakra.

"What's she doing outside the village? Wasn't she with everyone?" Naruto was trying to process what was happening, his body cloaked in orange chakra as he sped through the trees. His anger had given way to concern as he worried about his girlfriend. Kakashi had made it clear that for the time being, he did not want Hinata to travel outside Konoha, for her own safety. Obviously their friends wouldn't have allowed her to leave, so how had she managed to get out? Not only that, but the gates were being guarded by Izumo and Kotetsu.

Sasuke spoke up, gaining his attention once more. "It's strange. The only way she could've left the village is if she forced her way out. And no one managed to stop her."

"Shit, this place will be swarming with Anbu soon, if that's the case," Naruto replied worriedly. "We're almost there, so let's hurry."

It was only seconds until they finally reached their destination, and the two of them jumped down from the trees as they noticed a figure in the distance. Naruto could see that the person was enveloped in a dark blue chakra, facing away from them. As he drew closer, he saw the chakra fade to a lighter shade of blue and begin to recede, revealing Hinata. "HINATA!" he screamed, sprinting over towards her as she collapsed to the ground. He could see the blood that covered her clothing and splattered onto her skin, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He was at her side moments later, and he carefully lifted her up, frantically checking her for injuries.

While Naruto was preoccupied with Hinata, Sasuke's focus was elsewhere. He gazed at the bloodied body that was pinned to a tree with several kunai, his eyes wide. "What the..." his voice trailed off. "Naruto."

"What?" The blond looked up, his eyes darting over to where his friend was looking. Hinata didn't appear to have any wounds, but the question of whose blood covered her was quickly answered.

Reiko's body had been stuck to the tree a few feet off the ground, the ninja tools holding her up. Her torso had been badly mutilated, with so many cuts that she had been disemboweled. Her eyes had been gouged out, and her limbs were twisted and clearly broken. Blood covered her all over, matting her red hair to her head and dripping down her face. Despite the gruesome injuries, Naruto was able to recognize her from one of the other photos that he had seen.

"She was another one," he told Sasuke in a hollow voice, still cradling Hinata in his arms. "That girl."

"I wonder if Hinata intentionally left the village to find and kill her. She was obviously within close proximity to the village, so she may have been trying to sneak in. But she didn't make it that far," Sasuke remarked. "Still, the Anbu will be here any second now. I'm surprised that they're not here yet..."

Naruto shook his head in confusion. "What the hell is going on? I mean, I'm glad that we found her before anyone else did, but that's the thing. If she escaped from the village, they would've sent someone after her to bring her back." He activated his Sage Mode and waited several seconds, trying to sense if anyone else was around. "It doesn't look like anyone is coming after her. I don't sense the Anbu or anyone else in the area for that matter. I just don't get it."

"We'll have to figure it out once we get back, but we can't just return to the village with her like that. Also..." Like he had done with Mikoto's body, Sasuke burned Reiko's corpse with his Amaterasu, as well as the tree she was pinned to. By the time he was finished, not a trace of either was left behind.

Naruto was staring down at Hinata with stunned silence. He hadn't fully believed it at first, but after making that discovery, there was no question in how Hinata had managed to escape from the facility. With Reiko, however, she had taken more time to exact her revenge. "Hinata?" he finally spoke, giving her a light shake. He got no reaction, but he knew it was because she had completely exhausted her chakra. "How are we going to get her back into the village without being noticed? People are going to ask questions."

"I have an idea," Sasuke mused. "But first, clean that blood off of her."

 **And that wraps up this chapter. I could've made Reiko's death a lot more explicit, but I wasn't in the mood to write out a drawn out torture scene. As far as Mikoto, yeah maybe he died too quickly, but I felt like it would be fitting for Naruto to brutally beat him to death. So now two people are dead and Naruto and Sasuke are confused as fuck right now. The next chapter will explain a few things and hopefully I can have it finished by next Thursday. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter so please review. And I hope you enjoyed reading about their demise just as I enjoyed writing about it :3**


	14. Chapter 14

**Once again, I was somehow able to make my deadline, and I'm hoping to continue for at least a few more weeks. Unfortunately, my work hours increased, therefore cutting my time to write substantially. Not only that, but I'm doing another weekly story as well, so trying to do both isn't as easy now. But I'm still going to do what I can to make sure I update it in a timely manner.  
**

 **Please ignore any spelling or grammar mistakes, as I have just spent the past several hours listening to an infinite loop of Christmas songs. I now want to bash my head in.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 14_

Naruto spent the next few minutes cleaning as much blood as he could off Hinata's body, using a piece of cloth that he had torn from his shirt and wet. He rested her head on his lap, gently wiping the crimson splatters from her beautiful face. There was nothing he could do about her stained clothing, which showed brightly in contrast to the pale, pastel colors she wore. He managed to clear the blood from her soft skin, noticing just how peaceful she looked. Naruto stripped his jacket off and carefully wrapped it around her, just as he had done the day that he had found her. With most of the blood concealed beneath the jacket, he zipped it up and gathered her into his arms once more. He stood up, holding her tightly to his chest as he looked at Sasuke. "How are we going to get her back into Konoha without raising suspicion? I still don't know how she managed to leave in the first place. Did she somehow sneak out unnoticed?"

"We'll worry about that once we get to the village. But this is how we're going to do it, so pay attention so that I don't have to repeat myself," Sasuke responded. "Getting through the gates will be the most challenging part, but I have an idea. One of your shadow clones will head towards the gate with me, while you stay back a little. Once we approach the guards, I'm going to discreetly cast a genjutsu."

"...What?" Naruto was lost.

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes at his friend's slowness. "Your clone is going to stand in for the real you so that it seems less suspicious as to why I'm returning without you. We'll distract the guards and I'll cast that genjutsu so that they don't see you with Hinata as you enter the village. That being said, go straight to your place as fast as you possibly can so that no one sees you. You're fast, but I don't want those two to notice the real you just in case, so that's why I'm implementing the genjutsu as a precaution. Once you're in, I'll dispel it and your clone and I will enter the village as if nothing happened. While you tend to Hinata, I'll deal with everyone else. Don't leave your apartment once you get there, and I'll be over once I'm finished."

"What are we going to tell them, though? About Hinata disappearing like that?" Naruto asked, glancing down at her.

"Considering that not a single Anbu has appeared gives me the impression that no one actually knows she left," the Uchiha responded. "We won't know what's going on until we get back, so let's hurry."

Naruto nodded, carrying the unconscious girl in his arms as he and Sasuke began to make their way back towards Konoha. He stared down at Hinata with confused curiosity, then glanced back over his shoulder to where the body and tree once were. He couldn't help but feel a pang of relief, knowing that there was now one less person that was trying to go after Hinata. Two, actually, since he had killed Mikoto himself. "What am I going to tell her?" he questioned, his expression worried. "I don't think she realizes what she's doing. I know she wasn't lying to me about when she got out of that place."

"She might be doing it subconsciously. It could be a side effect from the drug that she was given. It may have altered her mind and caused her to do things that she normally would never do, and then her memory of it is wiped out," Sasuke suggested. "But we won't know until she wakes up and we can start asking her questions."

"That would make sense," Naruto murmured, his blue eyes still glued on the petite girl. He knew that Hinata would never do anything like that intentionally. He wondered how she was going to react once she found out what she had done and he felt his heart clench. Knowing her, she would not take it well at all. He almost didn't want to tell her, but he simply couldn't keep something like this from her.

"We need to be careful how we go about things," Sasuke spoke up again. "Whether Hinata did it on purpose or not doesn't the change the fact that she was the one who killed those people."

Naruto scowled. "So what? You know what they did to her, so I don't think that she'll be punished for it. Kakashi-sensei wouldn't do something like that."

"I'm not saying that she will be punished, but they might attempt to lock her up until they can figure out what's going on. And you know that Hinata won't try to resist if that's the route they choose."

"I'm not letting anyone lock her up," the jinchuriki told him stubbornly. "We'll figure something else out, so just for now, we won't say anything about this to anyone. "

Sasuke nodded and was quiet for a moment. "Does it bother you knowing what she did?"

Naruto looked back down at Hinata. "I mean, I'm surprised but I can't really say that I'm bothered by it. She killed a bunch of people to escape. And that other girl was part of the whole thing, so I don't care that Hinata got some revenge. I killed that other bastard, so it's not like I'm in any position to judge."

"Only Hinata probably normally wouldn't have done it under normal circumstances. I've never seen you go berserk like that," Sasuke pointed out.

"I couldn't help it. When I saw him...I just snapped. All I could think about was killing him. After what he did to her..." Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself as he felt his anger bubble up once more.

The raven-haired male shrugged. "Can't really blame you. But now that's two less people to worry about."

They closed in on the village, now only about a quarter of a mile from the gates. Naruto summoned a shadow clone, which appeared in a puff of smoke. He then stayed a few hundred feet behind Sasuke and his clone, doing his best to remain out of sight. Sasuke would give him a signal when it was safe, and he hid himself and Hinata behind some trees once they were close enough to the village gates. He watched quietly as Sasuke and the clone approached the two guards.

"Hey, did you guys find anything?" Izumo asked with curiosity. Judging by his calm demeanor, it was clear that they had not seen anything out of the ordinary.

"Yeah, we need to speak to Kakashi-sensei and let him know what we found," the clone replied.

Kotetsu's eyes widened. "Really? Was it what you were looking for?"

"Well, we were looking for anything that might clue us in on anything involving the case," Sasuke replied, his Sharingan activated.

Naruto waited a few more moments until he noticed Sasuke give the subtle signal. He immediately encased himself in chakra and moved as fast as he possibly could to get through the gates. He rushed past the guards, leaving only a breeze in his wake as his clone and Sasuke continued to distract them. Luckily, he had not been spotted, and he was able to make it to his apartment without being seen by anyone else. He managed to hold Hinata in one arm while he fished his key out of his pocket, quickly unlocking the door and opening it. Naruto readjusted the girl and carried her inside, kicking the door closed behind him.

Hinata still had not regained consciousness, and the blond couldn't help but worry as he carefully set her down on the couch. How was he going to explain this to her? Her clothes were soaked with blood, and he didn't want her to wake up in the middle of him undressing her. Deciding to just leave her be for now, he headed to his room to change into a clean set of clothes. Naruto put on a pair of black pants, as well as a white t-shirt, then emerged from his bedroom. He looked at Hinata with worry, wondering how things were going on Sasuke's end.

xxxXXXxxx

"Sasuke...are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Naruto's clone murmured, his blue eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah," he replied, just as surprised.

It hadn't taken long for them to locate Sakura and the others, and when they had, the sight before them stunned them to the core.

"H-Hinata?" The clone stared at the indigo-haired girl, not sure if he was seeing correctly.

She smiled sweetly, a light blush on her face. "Hello, Naruto-kun." She stared at him for a moment, her expression becoming slightly worried. "I-is everything okay?"

Sakura frowned. "Naruto, why are you acting so weird? You look like you just saw a ghost." She turned her attention to Sasuke and smiled. "Hi, Sasuke-kun. How did the investigation go?"

"It went fine," he replied absently, trying to process what was happening.

"Did you find anything?" Shikamaru questioned.

The clone quickly composed himself, realizing how oddly he was acting. "Oh, yeah, but we have to talk to Kakashi-sensei about it. I'll fill you in on the details later, but we'd better get going."

"Hold on," Ino said, handing him a single bag. "Sakura and I wanted to get Hinata a few more things in addition to this, but she didn't want us to," she added with a sigh.

"Uh, thanks. We'll see you later. Bye," the clone said, quickly grabbing Hinata's wrist with his free hand as he tugged her along, with Sasuke right behind them. He could feel their friends' questioning gazes on them, but didn't pay much attention to it. His mind was preoccupied with a much more peculiar matter.

Once they reached a quiet, more secluded area that was hidden in between a few older buildings, the blond turned to face Hinata. "Who are you? What's going on?" he asked with confusion.

"I, um..." the girl trailed off, looking down shyly.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded more firmly, his Sharingan activated. When she didn't respond, he went to grab her shoulders, but the moment he touched her, Hinata disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto's clone and Sasuke gaped in stunned silence for a moment, then looked at each other. So that was why no one had been searching for Hinata; she had used a shadow clone as a stand-in while she sneaked out of Konoha. But how had she gotten through the gates without Izumo and Kotetsu stopping her?

"Let's hurry up and report this to Kakashi-sensei so that we can talk to Naruto about this," Sasuke finally said.

"Just what the hell is going on?" the clone muttered as he and Sasuke headed towards their destination.

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto waited anxiously for Sasuke's return, peering out one of the windows in the kitchen for any signs of the raven-haired male. Were their friends panicking, thinking that they had lost sight of Hinata? Did Kakashi know about her disappearance? What was going to happen? His racing thoughts were interrupted when he heard soft crying from the living room.

"Hinata?" He rushed into the room to find his girlfriend sitting up on the couch, having regained her consciousness. The black jacket had been unzipped, revealing her bloodstained blouse and skirt.

Hinata looked at him with a pained expression, hot tears coursing down her cheeks. "N-Naruto-kun...I...I did something horrible..." she whimpered, her body trembling.

Naruto quickly joined her on the couch and pulled her into an embrace. The moment he wrapped his arms around her, her face was buried in his chest as quiet sobs racked Hinata's body. He could feel her tears begin to dampen his shirt, and he gently stroked her hair in comfort.

"Shh, it's okay," he whispered to her, holding her close.

"N-no, it's not," she said with a choked sob, unable to control the shaking. "I-I don't know w-what happened. I..." She continued to cry, clinging onto him with fearful desperation.

Naruto continued to soothe her, trying to calm her down. Did Hinata know what she had done to that girl? Was that what she was referring to? He gently tilted her face up to meet her gaze, feeling a tug at his heart once he did. Hinata's teary, lavender eyes were filled with despair and sorrow, as well as fear. Naruto leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead, brushing away the tears that trickled down her cheeks.

Moments later, the front door opened, and Sasuke entered the apartment with Naruto's clone, making sure to close and lock it behind them. The clone dispelled, and Sasuke joined the real Naruto and Hinata in the living room.

"How did everything go?" Naruto inquired, his arm around Hinata once more.

"Well," Sasuke began as he leaned against the wall. "The good news is that no one noticed that Hinata was missing, so there were no issues with that aspect."

The jinchuriki frowned with confusion. "What do you mean by that? They didn't notice that she left the village?"

"It seems that she made a shadow clone and left it in her place," he revealed. "That's why no one noticed her absence. She somehow managed to leave the village without anyone seeing her. Also, I reported what we found to Kakashi-sensei, so he sent the Anbu to go check it out."

"Wait a minute. She made a shadow clone?" Naruto asked, then turned his attention to Hinata. "Do you remember doing that?"

Hinata swallowed a lump in her throat, wiping a few more tears from her face. "Everything is hazy, b-but I vaguely remember getting a headache while I was with everyone."

"A headache? Do you have one now?" the blond asked with concern.

She shook her head. "No, not at the moment."

"How did you get out of the village?" Sasuke inquired. "You must not have gone through the gates."

"No, I used an underground tunnel that Kiba made a few years ago," she confessed.

Naruto's eyes widened at the realization. "Oh, I forgot about that tunnel. So that's how you did it, huh?"

Hinata nodded, wiping her eyes again. "I sensed Reiko's chakra while I was in the village, and that was when I started to get the headache. Once I managed to sneak out, I followed the direction that it was coming from and I found her. She...claimed that she had cloaked her chakra, but I didn't have any trouble locating her. And then...once I found her, I..." She sniffled, but a fresh set of tears was already brimming in her eyes. "I-I didn't mean f-for that t-to happen. I r-really didn't mean to...to kill her like that," she barely managed before she began to weep once more.

"It's okay, Hinata. It wasn't your fault," Naruto comforted her, holding her close to his chest again.

"B-but it is," she insisted tearfully. "I-I can't believe that I...would do something like that... W-what's wrong with me? Is that why my father didn't want me to c-come home?"

Naruto stiffened, realizing that he could no longer hide the truth. "Your dad thought that maybe you were the one who killed those people in that facility. He said that he didn't want to risk anyone's safety, but he did also say that he didn't want anyone else to find you there. So he was concerned about your well-being, too."

Hinata numbly stared at the floor. "I was the one who killed them all," she finally murmured as reality hit her. "It was me..."

"You obviously didn't do those things intentionally. At least, not when you were in the right state of mind," Sasuke mused. "That drug that you were injected with...maybe that's what's causing you to have those episodes. It could be a side affect, and it's causing you to act out in a way that is uncharacteristic of you."

"See, it's not your fault," Naruto assured her, trying to alleviate her sorrow. "I know that you would never do anything like that on purpose."

Hinata's crying had subsided, but a melancholy expression remained on her angelic face. "Am I some kind of monster now?" She wondered aloud in a hollow voice.

"No! Don't ever think of yourself like that," the blond responded vehemently, taking her face in his hands. "None of this is your fault. It's theirs. The bastards that did this to you."

"I don't want to hurt anyone else," she whimpered, her voice cracking slightly. "W-what if I hurt someone else? I-I don't know how to control it, so what if it happens again?" Her anxiety was beginning to elevate again, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. "I-I should turn myself in."

Naruto gaped at her with shock, his blue eyes locked onto her lavender ones. "No, Hinata! You can't do that."

"But Naruto-kun, I don't know w-what else to do," she responded in a defeated tone.

Sasuke spoke up before Naruto could. "Let's think about it before you go do anything rash. Take into consideration that your episode began while you were with everyone. You had enough sense to avoid hurting them, or cause any sort of confrontation. You summoned a clone to take your place, so no one noticed what was really happening. Not only that, but even though you blacked out in the woods, your clone managed not to dispel until it we returned. Naruto's clone and I reported what we found to Kakashi-sensei while this idiot right here brought you back. Over all, no one noticed your disappearance."

"While Sasuke and I were on our way back, we sensed your chakra and found you," Naruto explained to her. "We managed to sneak you back into Konoha without anyone noticing."

Hinata nodded absently, processing what they were telling her. "What did you find at the facility?"

"We found a pit of corpses hidden beneath a secret trapdoor. We're guessing that they were the other missing ninjas, but we don't know that for sure," Naruto said. "Kakashi-sensei is working on that right now."

"I really should turn myself in..." she mused in a hollow voice. "They're going to find her body and-"

"We took care of that," Sasuke interjected. "I used my Amaterasu to burn her corpse. We didn't leave any traces behind, so no one will know."

Naruto took Hinata's delicate hand into his, gaining her attention. "Hinata, there's something else that I need to tell you." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "When Sasuke and I were heading home, we ran into that bastard, Mikoto."

Her face paled at the mention of his name and her heart skipped a beat. "Y-you saw Mikoto?"

The jinchuriki nodded, giving her hand a light squeeze. "I recognized him from the pictures that we were shown. When I realized who he was, I... I went berserk," he admitted. "My rage took over and I killed him." He let out a humorless chuckle, caressing her fingers with his. "All I could think about was how much he hurt you, and I lost control. I probably shouldn't have killed him, but I don't care. After what he did to you, he deserved every bit of that beating. I didn't stop until Sasuke pulled me away from the corpse, and by then, he was so battered that no one would be able to identify him."

"I burned his body, as well," Sasuke added. "We're not telling anyone about what happened, including Kakashi-sensei. So as of now, no one knows that those two are dead. We want to keep it that way for now."

Hinata couldn't help but feel slightly relieved over the fact that two of her tormentors were dead. That left only Kusanagi and Kurome, and she wondered what exactly they were planning.

Naruto had the same thought. "We still need to get rid of those other two. There's not much we can do about it now, but Sasuke and I will come up with something. I'm not letting them get away with what they did to you, even if that means I have to go against Kakashi-sensei's orders. I don't plan on bringing them back here alive."

"Just don't do anything stupid in the meantime, Naruto. I'm gonna get going," Sasuke said as he turned to leave. "I'll come back tomorrow to discuss plans."

Once he was gone, Naruto looked at Hinata to see a defeated expression on her face. The devastating information she had learned was clearly taking a toll on her, leaving her in a state of desolation. Naruto reached over to gently stroke her cheek, causing the shy kunoichi to look at him. "I'm sorry that all of this is happening, Hinata. You don't deserve to go through any of this. I should've told you the truth about your dad, but I didn't want to upset you. I'm sorry for that. You've already been through so much that I couldn't the stand the thought of putting you through more pain. " He leaned closer to her, so that his forehead touched hers as his voice lowered. "I know that you're scared, and I don't blame you. But I promise that I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. I love you," he added, planting a soft kiss on her rosy lips. "Now, let's get you out of those clothes."

Hinata began to blush profusely, and it was then that Naruto realized how it sounded.

"Uh, I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that you should take a shower and get some clean clothes on. Not only that, but we never put medicine on your back this morning, so let me apply it when you get out," he told her, trying his best to hide his embarrassment.

Hinata washed Reiko's blood from her body, which had saturated through her blouse and stained her torso crimson. She watched numbly as the red water swirled down the drain, knowing that she was the one who had drawn that blood. She was the reason why it covered her body in the first place, and warm tears ran down her face as she tried to contain her sobs, the hot water mixing in with those tears. The indigo-haired girl scrubbed away the remnants of blood that remained on her porcelain skin, her hands shaking as she did so.

Naruto entered the bathroom once she was finished, ready to apply the medicine on her back. He could see the broken expression that she desperately tried to hide behind a smile, but her pained eyes said it all.

"Hinata, you can't beat yourself up over this," he murmured to her, his fingers applying the cool cream to her bare back. "None of this is your fault."

She didn't respond vocally, but gave a slight nod to acknowledge what he had said. No matter how many times he tried to reassure her, the crushing guilt would not subside.

 _ **'Why is she so upset about this?'** _Kurama asked from inside Naruto's mind **. _'Shinobi die all the time, it's part of the job.'_** He simply couldn't comprehend why it was affecting her in such a way. _**'What's so wrong about going after the people that were the cause of the whole thing?'**_

 _'Because Hinata's different,'_ Naruto told him, gently massaging the medicine onto the healing welts. _'She hates the thought of taking anyone's life, even if her_ _own is at stake.'_

 _ **'But not you,'**_ the fox demon reminded him. **_'When it comes to_** **_your safety, she jumps right in without hesitation. I can't believe it took you so long to notice the lengths that she'll through just for your sake. You really are an idiot,_ '** he told him for what seemed to be the millionth time in that week alone.

 _'Oh, shut up.'_ Naruto, however, knew that Kurama was right. Hinata would easily risk her life for his, without caring about her own well-being. Once he was finished, he left the quiet girl alone to get dressed, but not before planting a kiss on top of her head and a reminder that if she needed anything, he would be right outside. He saw the sad smile on her face, and felt his heart ache for her.

As the jinchuriki waited for Hinata to finished up in the bathroom, Kurama spoke up once more. _**'Maybe it's not so much that she killed that girl, but** **the fact** **that** _**_she tortured her to death._ '** He let out a low, amused chuckle. ** _'I've gotta say, that was impressive. That bitch deserved every second of it.'_**

Even if that was true, Naruto knew that Hinata would never be okay with what she had done. She probably could've gotten over it more easily if it had been a simple, quick death. Instead, she had administered an agonizing torture session that had left Reiko mutilated beyond recognition.

 _ **'How do you feel about what you did? When you killed that other bastard?'** _Kurama questioned.

Naruto was quiet for a moment before he responded. _'I'm relieved. I don't feel guilty for killing him at all, especially now that I know he can never hurt her again.'_

Kurama snickered. _**'I thought you hated to be overly-violent, but it seems that things are different when your girl is involved. The rage I sense from you seems to sky-rocket any time her safety is compromised.'**_

The blond didn't deny that statement, for the fox was right. He had always been protective of Hinata, becoming even more so in the recent years. Now that they were together, he felt that way more intensely than ever.

 **Okay, that completes the chapter and I'm hoping that it's starting to make somewhat sense? Oh, and I don't want any crap about whether or not she can make clones. I'm pretty sure that in order to graduate from the academy, you need to be able to make some sort of clone (if not, correct me if I'm wrong, because I suppose I don't know for definite) Regardless, I'm pretty sure she can manage at least one. But enough of my stupid rambling. I hope you liked the chapter and I will try to update again a week from today. Please review ^_^  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Even though it is technically Friday morning, to me it's late Thursday night so I'm not exactly late! That being said, I do regret to inform you guys that I will have to go back to updating bi-weekly. I'm working a shit ton of hours, so it's become impossible for me to update both of my stories on a weekly basis. I will alternate between the stories, so each will be updated every other week. However, I don't have a hell of a lot of chapters left to write for this story, and if I can finish them sooner, I will. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm going to have a brain aneurysm if I keep trying to update both chapters every week while running off of no sleep and a lot of caffeine. But you guys are pretty patient and understanding, so there's that.**

 **Also, I understand that maybe I'm portraying Naruto a little darker than he normally might be, but I wanted to make him that way for this particular story. I hope that's not an issue, but I like the aspect of making him angry enough where he'd actually consider killing someone for hurting Hinata. Anyway, I've rambled enough and I will shut up so that you can read the chapter.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 15_

As the hour approached nearly midnight, Naruto and Hinata decided to retire for the night. The remainder of the day had been quiet, with Naruto attempting to comfort Hinata as much as he could. The indigo-haired girl had tried to pretend that she was okay, attempting to reassure him with a smile. He could see the sadness in her eyes, however.

He tugged her towards the bed, climbing under the covers with her. He switched off the lamp on the nightstand, then turned to face Hinata. She was lying on her right side, a light blush on her face as she shyly gazed at him. Naruto smiled and moved closer to plant a kiss on her lips, his fingers gently running through her silky locks. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, he had never felt happier in his life. Hinata had been the light at the end of that seemingly never-ending tunnel of darkness. She always had been, but he'd been too oblivious to realize it.

Hinata gasped softly when he pulled her closer to his body, his muscular arms wrapping around her. Her cheek pressed up against his solid chest, and she couldn't help but snuggle up to him as her fingers lightly grasped onto his white shirt.

Naruto smiled, glad that she had decided to wear his clothing to bed, rather than the racy lingerie that Ino had purchased for her. As sexy as that was, something about the way his clothes looked on her petite frame made him melt. She looked adorable, making her that much more irresistible. He would have to behave himself, though. Hinata needed a loving boyfriend right now, not a lecherous pervert. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked, softly kissing her forehead.

"I'll be fine," she replied, cuddling closer to his warm body. After such a hellish day, this was exactly what she needed; being in Naruto's protective hold.

"Are you sure?" His fingers continued to stroke her dark hair. "I'm worried about you."

She smiled up at him. "Don't worry, I'll be okay." Her lavender eyes closed and her hand rested on his waist, right above his hip.

Naruto gave her one last kiss on her lips, then re-positioned so that he was lying on his back and she was was snuggled in the crook of his arm. Her body was close to his, her breasts lightly pressing up against his side. He ignored the dirty thoughts that were starting to form in his head, and instead concentrated on getting to sleep. It wasn't long before he was snoring, indicating that he had managed to do so.

As tired as she was, Hinata couldn't seem to fall asleep as easily. All she could think about was the events that had happened during the day, replaying her in her mind like a nightmarish infinite loop. The shadow clone. When was the last time she had made a clone? One that somehow hadn't immediately disappeared after she'd passed out, for that matter? Sneaking out of the village without anyone's knowledge. Managing to track Reiko down from a few miles away, despite the redhead's attempt to conceal both her chakra and physical appearance. Hinata hadn't even needed to use her Byakugan at the time, able to pinpoint her location just by picking on the hidden chakra. She remembered the torturous death that she'd administered to Reiko. As vile and nasty as Reiko had been, Hinata felt horrible for what she had done. What had possessed her to do something so cruel?

 _'Why did I do it? I never wanted something like that to happen.'_ She had expected that maybe they'd be caught and arrested eventually, left to serve the rest of their lives locked away. Hinata hadn't planned on it ending in such a violent manner. She remembered the sick satisfaction part of her had felt during Reiko's torment, but it hadn't felt like it was her own. Knowing what she had done disgusted her to no end, and she felt ashamed for being the type of person who would do something like that.

She had massacred those workers in the research facility, in addition to the red-haired woman. Sure, they had been enemies, but who was to say that she wouldn't attack her own friends. No one had tried to stop her, but that was because they had not been aware of her leaving. If they had found out and tried to stop her, what would the result have been? Would she have backed down? Or would they have wound up as a pile of mangled corpses? Her friends were strong, but knowing that she slaughtered twelve people within minutes made her wonder with fear just how dangerous she was.

Naruto. What would happen to him if he tried to stop her? Hinata would never dream of trying to hurt the jinchuriki, but she had never imagined that she would brutally kill thirteen people. He snored beside her, unaware that she had not yet fallen asleep herself.

 _'I'll never forgive myself if I hurt Naruto-kun.'_ What if she killed him?

No. That wasn't going to happen. There was no way she was going to allow that to ever become a reality. The only way to keep him safe, was for her to stay away from him. It would devastate him, but she knew it was for the best. His safety was all she cared about.

Gently untangling herself from her sleeping boyfriend's arms, Hinata discreetly crept out of the bed. She silently made her way out of the room, carefully watching Naruto to see if he would wake up. To her relief, he did not seem to notice her absence, and she breathed a small sigh of relief. She began to quietly rummage through her bag for clothes to change into, but her lavender eyes burned with tears, making her vision blurry. Although it was for Naruto's own good, the thought of leaving him was agonizing, and she struggled not to completely break down in tears. She managed to find a pair of shorts and a tank top, not wanting to attract attention by wearing Naruto's clothes.

"Hinata."

The indigo-haired girl froze in her spot upon hearing the voice behind her. The tears began to fall, but she remained silent for a moment, before standing up and turning to face him.

Naruto stood in the doorway of his bedroom, his blue eyes filled with pain. "Don't go. Please," he begged.

Hinata gazed at him, feeling the tears slide down her cheeks. "I...I don't know what to do, N-Naruto-kun," she managed, her voice cracking slightly. Her body trembled, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep herself from breaking down.

Naruto was suddenly in front of her, his arms wrapped tightly around her. "Stay here with me." Her tears began to dampen his shirt, but he didn't care as he held her against him. "Please, Hinata. Don't leave me again."

"I...I d-don't want to, b-but..." she was stammering now, and she looked up at him with despair. "I don't want to hurt you, N-Naruto-kun. I-I'm scared."

"I know," he replied, bringing his hand to her cheek. "I know that you're afraid of hurting me, and anyone else for that matter. But you don't have to leave like this. Sasuke and I are going to figure out a plan when he comes over, so please just stay here. We'll think of something, I promise."

Hinata sniffled. "I-if you were in my position, w-what would you do?" she questioned.

The blond thought for a moment. "Probably the same thing that you're trying to do. But in that case, you'd be the one trying to stop me from leaving," he added with a smile. "Am I right?"

"Yes," she finally answered, now crying softly as more tears ran down her angelic face.

Naruto gently stroked one away, his eyes locked on hers. "I can't lose you again, Hinata. I just can't." He had already almost lost her so many times. The Chunin Exams. The fight with Pain. The Fourth Great Ninja War. Three weeks ago. There was no way in hell he could stand to lose her again, especially now that he'd realized his feelings towards her. "We'll think of something, I promise. Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes, b-but I don't trust myself," Hinata whimpered. "W-what if I-"

He silenced her with a kiss, tasting the sweetness of her lips against his. She relaxed in his arms slightly as she returned the kiss, but she was still trembling. When they parted, Naruto smiled at her. "We'll figure something out," he repeated. "Okay? So please stay with me."

She nodded, relenting to his pleas. "Okay. I won't leave."

Hinata allowed him to tug her back to his room, both glad and regretful that she hadn't left. If anything else happened, though, she would have no choice but to leave. She kept that detail to herself.

"You're the most important person in my life now," Naruto told her as they climbed back in bed. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I love you."

Hinata couldn't help but smile, feeling her heart flutter at those words. "I love you, too, Naruto-kun."

"And don't try to sneak out again," he teased, pulling her against his body once more.

"I won't," she replied, snuggling up beside him as she closed her eyes.

It wasn't long before Hinata was asleep, momentarily putting her fears and worries to rest. Naruto gazed down at her, propped up on his elbow. That had been close; if he hadn't woken up, she wouldn't be lying beside him at this very moment. He hoped that Sasuke would have some sort of game plan in mind when they met up. Although he didn't want to go behind Kakashi's back, he had a feeling that it would only make things worse if they revealed everything that had happened. It was better to keep things quiet, at least for now.

 _ **'What's your plan, kid?'**_ Kurama's voice suddenly questioned.

 _'I don't know yet,_ ' he answered. _'I'm more worried about Hinata than anything else. She almost left...'_

 ** _'Well, obviously. She doesn't seem to want to drag anyone into this, including you. So why are you surprised?'_** the fox asked.

Naruto sighed. _'I'm not surprised. That's the type of person that she is, and always has been. But I'll be damned if I let her run off on her own like that. I'm not going to risk the chance of her getting captured again. If that happens, I might not see her again.'_

 _ **'She probably won't be as lucky that time around,'**_ Kurama mused. ** _'Unless, of course, she rips those bastards apart, too.'_**

The blond couldn't help but remember the words that Tsunade had said to him. She had requested that he bring Hinata back to the hospital if she attempted to take her own life. But Hinata wouldn't try to commit suicide, would she? If it was the keep others safe, it wasn't entirely out of the question.

 _'No, she wouldn't...'_ he tried to convince himself.

 _ **'There aren't many alternatives that work out in her favor,'**_ Kurama responded. _**'That probably wouldn't be her first choice, but you knows that she values her life less than others'.**_

 _'I won't let it get to that point. Sasuke and I will figure something out when I see him.'_ Done with the conversation with the Nine Tails, Naruto leaned down to lightly kiss Hinata's soft lips, letting them linger for a moment. He then rested against his pillow, carefully drawing her close to his body. Hinata snuggled against him, and he couldn't help but smile. He could definitely get used to this.

xxxXXXxxx

"Have you thought of anything?" Naruto asked Sasuke, once his friend arrived later that morning.

"Somewhat," Sasuke responded as he nonchalantly leaned against the wall. He had declined taking a seat. "Have you?"

Naruto looked thoughtful for a few seconds. "Not really. I mean, I have, but I don't know if they'll actually work. We're trying to keep all of this from Kakashi-sensei for now, so we can't be stupid about it."

"You wouldn't know much about that, huh," Sasuke quipped.

"Shut up," the blond snapped from his position on the couch, next to Hinata. "Anyway, what did you have in mind?"

The Uchiha sighed. "Well, the smartest thing that we can do is to find those last two people. Track them down and deal with them. Maybe once they're taken care of, you're black-out episodes will stop," he added, turning his attention to Hinata.

"Maybe," she mused, contemplating his words. "It's a start, at least."

"Wait a minute, how are we going to find them?" Naruto asked. "The Anbu haven't found them yet, so how will we?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you that dense? What makes you think that we can't find them just because the Anbu haven't? Were they the ones who found those bodies in that pit?"

"Well, no..." Naruto admitted. "But, where are we going to start? We don't even know if they're anywhere near the village."

"I have an idea, but..." Sasuke trailed off.

The jinchuriki's blue eyes narrowed. "But what?"

The raven-haired male turned his attention to Hinata. "You were able to track that girl's chakra from inside the village, right? Even though according to you, she claimed that she was concealing her chakra."

She nodded. "That's what she told me. I was with everyone, and then all of a sudden, I sensed this familiar chakra. I don't know how I did it, with her being almost three miles away and masking it, but it was like I knew where she was. Before I could think about what was going on, that headache started to set in, and then that's when everything started..."

"So sensing her chakra must've triggered something in your head," Sasuke suggested.

Naruto looked completely lost. "I just don't get why out of everyone else around you, you happened to zone in on that girl. Especially considering the distance and how she was trying to hide herself."

"I think it's because..." Hinata hesitated for a moment. "During the span of those two weeks, my mind was getting accustomed to what was going on. Every day I could expect her to come in, so I'd wait in fear until she finally did. Without even realizing it, her chakra was ingrained into my mind because I was trying to figure out how close by she was. Or when she would show up. I did it with all four of them."

"Interesting," Sasuke mused with a small nod. "So maybe if you concentrate hard enough, you can zero in on the last two. You also have your Byakugan, so we can also use that to our advantage. And my Sharingan. And the idiot right there has his Sage Mode."

Realizing what they were getting at, Naruto angrily rose to a stand and glared at Sasuke. "You better not be suggesting what I think you are."

"If we're going to find these people, our best bet is to use Hinata's abilities and track them down that way," Sasuke answered.

"No, we're not taking Hinata with us. She's still recovering, and I'm not going to risk letting her get captured again. No way in hell," Naruto added with venom in his voice.

Hinata gently grabbed hold of his sleeve, looking up at him with worry. "I-it's okay, Naruto-kun. If I can be helpful in finding them, then I would like to come along with you."

"But Hinata," he began to protest, visibly concerned, but before he could continue, Sasuke cut him off.

"Naruto, think of it this way; that Kusanagi guy is responsible for killing those shinobi that we found in the pit. How many others did he kill before them? How many more will he go through before someone finally stops him? I figured that after what he did to Hinata, you'd be all for it," he pointed out. "Besides, you said that you would protect her, so are you insinuating that you can't?"

The blond growled. "Of course I can. I just don't want her to have to see him again. I don't want her to go through that and-"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata gently spoke up, rising to a stand beside him. "I don't want him to hurt anyone else. He needs to be stopped, and the sooner we find him, the better. And I think I can actually be useful. Please," she added, her eyes staring into his. "Please let me go with you."

With a defeated sigh, Naruto nodded. "Okay, you can come with us. But I'm not letting you out of my sight," he told her. "Just help us find him and that other girl, and Sasuke and I will handle the rest."

"I-I'll try not to interfere. But I don't know what's going to happen," she murmured worriedly. "I don't know if I'm going to go into another episode..."

"We'll just have to wait and see how it goes," Sasuke said with a shrug. "It might be smart to cue Sakura in on this so that she can cover for us. I know that Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei will probably try to talk to her soon. They're going to try to ask questions. If we let Sakura in on this, she can tell them that she's monitoring your health and behavior. I don't want to wait around and see how long it'll take before they show up asking questions. At least Sakura can buy us some time."

Naruto frowned, gazing out the window. "We can sneak out of the village using that underground tunnel, but I might leave a shadow clone here, pretending to be me. That way, if anyone comes along, it looks like I'm still at home and haven't left. We can say that Hinata is sleeping, or maybe I can make a clone that looks like her..." he suggested.

Sasuke sweat-dropped while Hinata blushed profusely. "I don't trust your clone to act like Hinata," the Uchiha remarked dryly. "You're the complete opposite of her; loud, annoying, stupid, clumsy-"

"I get it!" Naruto snarled, his eye twitching.

"Um..." Hinata's voice was soft, but got their attention. "I-I managed to make a clone yesterday, so maybe I can do it again. I've never really used clones like that, so it's not something I've had much practice in..."

Sasuke smirked. "Well, not only did you make one, but were able to keep it from dispelling even after you passed out. You can do more than you think you're capable of."

"Damn right," Naruto added cheerfully. "You're a lot stronger than you think, Hinata."

The indigo-haired girl turned bright red, and looked down with embarrassment. "Th-thank you."

Naruto looked at Sasuke. "So, when should we do this?"

"Tonight would be best. It will give us more time if we make our move when it's late. There will be less of a chance of someone showing up at your front door, asking questions. I'll go find Sakura once I leave and tell her what's going on."

"Do you think she'll try to stop us?" the blond questioned.

"I'll find a way to convince her," Sasuke replied. "I'll be here tonight at eleven. We'll begin preparations and then make our move at midnight. Any objections?" When both Naruto and Hinata shook their heads, he gave them a brief nod. "Okay, it's settled. Get some rest before we leave, since there won't be any sleeping tonight."

Once Sasuke was gone, Hinata sank back down on the couch with a sigh. The thought of running into _him_ again made her heart skip a beat, and she involuntarily shuddered. Naruto noticed this and sat beside her once more.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked her with concern. "If you don't want to do this, you know you don't have to. Sasuke and I can manage."

She shook her head. "No, this is something that I have to do. I'm hoping that maybe whatever is going on with me...will stop. I don't want it to happen again. And you know it might..."

"I know," he admitted in a low voice. "But I swear that I won't let you get taken again." Although he hadn't said it out loud, he did not plan on taking Kusanagi and Kurome back to Konoha alive. It had been an unspoken agreement between Sasuke. He had a feeling, however, that Hinata had suspected as much.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said quietly, barely above a whisper as her eyes locked onto his. "If anything goes wrong, promise me that you'll do what needs to be done."

He blinked, confused and uneasy from her comment. "What do you mean?"

"If I go out of control," she told him, "Stop me."

"I'll do it without killing you," he replied stubbornly.

She looked at him with a solemn expression. "B-but-"

"But nothing," he cut her off. "Don't worry about it, okay? I won't let anything happen to either of us. Sasuke is on his own," he added jokingly. "So let's just relax for the day. We'll need our energy tonight." With that, he leaned towards her and pressed his lips against hers.

Hinata let out a soft moan, closing her eyes as he kissed her. She practically melted when she felt his strong arms pull her close to his body, and she wrapped her arms around his neck when he deepened the kiss. Her hand ran through his short blond hair, feeling it through her fingers as their passion increased. Hinata's heart was beating a mile a minute, but her blush had faded slightly, leaving a soft tint of pink on her cheeks.

With one arm around her waist, Naruto slipped his other hand behind her head and gently pushed her onto her back. He smirked into the kiss as he heard her gasp, his muscular body now on top of hers. His forehead rested against hers, and he could feel her hands resting on his hips.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured when they broke the kiss, gazing up at him with both nervousness and desire. She could feel something hard poking against her leg, causing her heart to pound even faster.

"Hinata...we should probably stop," Naruto said huskily, trapping her on the couch. His breathing had grown more rapid, as had Hinata's. He was suddenly aware of the stiffness between his legs, and his eyes widened with realization. _'Crap!'_ In his panic, he attempted to get off of her, managing to fall off the couch in the process. "Ah!" He landed face down on the floor.

Hinata sat up on the couch and looked down at his form with worry. "Naruto-kun, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice muffled.

xxxXXXxxx

Sakura made her way down the street, yawning as she walked. She'd worked late the previous night, and hadn't gotten much sleep since leaving the hospital. Hopefully she'd be more alert after getting something in her stomach, as she had been too tired to eat once she'd gotten home.

"Sakura."

The pinkette whirled around, her green eyes wide as she recognized the voice that had spoken her name. "Sasuke-kun," she breathed, surprised to see him.

A brief smile crept onto Sasuke's lips as he looked at the stunned kunoichi. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Would you mind coming with me?"

"O-okay," she answered, her heart skipping a beat. "I was going to get a late breakfast before going back to work. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure," he replied, noticing how her eyes lit up. "I could go for something myself."

As Sakura continued towards her destination, the raven-haired male by her side, she couldn't help but inwardly jump for joy. _'HELL YEAH!'_

 **And that wraps up this chapter. Sorry that it was kind of boring, but the next chapter will have lemons, so there's that for a bit of action. The next chapter will be out in two weeks, and again, sorry for the delay. But I'd rather not rush and half-ass the rest of my story for the sake of a deadline that I probably shouldn't have done in the first place. Oh, well. Anyway, please review and at least pretend that you were somewhat interested.**


	16. Chapter 16

**So, I finished this a little early and I figured that I would just post the chapter tonight because I'm going to be busy as fuck over the next few days, including tomorrow.**

 **Warning: Chapter contains lemons, so yeah...just saying.**

 **Anyway, I am completely out of it and am kind of just rambling at this point. So on that note, please read and review.**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 16_

"Are you worried?"

Hinata looked up from her bowl of ramen, having barely touched it. "Huh?"

Naruto stared at her from across the table, having just finished his second bowl. "Are you worried about what might happen?"

"I-I guess a little," she admitted, then attempted to smile. "But I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm just nervous, I guess..."

"Of seeing him again?" the blond questioned, his expression serious. To his surprise, she shook her head. "That's not what you're nervous about?"

She dropped her gaze back onto the bowl in front of her. "No, not really. Both you and Sasuke will be with me, so I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm just worried about...you know."

Naruto reached across the table and took her hand into his, giving it a squeeze so she would look back up at him. "Hinata, even if it does happen again, this time you won't be alone. Sasuke and I will be careful so you shouldn't worry about that."

She offered a small smile, but she still didn't feel fully convinced. "Okay."

Once she had finally finished her ramen, with Naruto polishing off a third bowl himself, the blond took her hand and began to tug her towards the bedroom. "We should get some rest while we still can," he told her. "I hope Sasuke was able to convince Sakura to cover for us if it comes to it. But I have a feeling that she agreed to it," he added with a smirk as he gently pulled her into the room. They climbed onto the bed, with Naruto wrapping his arms around Hinata's body, pulling her close. Hinata sighed with content, burying her face in his chest. She shyly looked up at him a moment later, a light blush dusting her cheeks. Naruto chuckled softly, then began to stroke her silky indigo locks. "You're so cute, Hinata." He planted a soft kiss on her lips, letting it linger.

Hinata practically melted in his arms, not even attempting to pull away. Her lavender eyes closed and she let out of the softest of moans, her delicate hands lightly gripping his shirt.

Naruto deepened the kiss, his fingers entwining in her hair. He brought his other hand to her cheek to cup it gently, then slowly leaned forward to push her down onto the mattress. His muscular body hovered over her, and Hinata opened her eyes to stare into his. He broke the kiss, but continued to brush his lips against hers.

"Naruto-kun," she murmured, running her fingers through his short hair.

The blond paused for a moment and drew back slightly, gazing down at her with a sigh. "I should probably let you get some sleep," he mused, stroking her cheek with one finger. To his surprise, Hinata wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back down to give him a kiss of her own. Her face was flushed, and her breathing had picked up a bit. Naruto couldn't resist and slipped his tongue into her mouth to deepen the kiss. He was aware of the stiffness between his legs, but this time, he didn't jump off of her in a panic. His manhood throbbed against her, and he finally broke the kiss once more to gaze down at her. "Look what you do to me," he said huskily, his blue eyes darkened with lust.

Hinata moaned, feeling him pulsate against her thigh. She found herself reaching between them to cup the front of his pants, surprising the young man.

"Shit..." Naruto said quietly as she squeezed him through the fabric. He twitched in her hand, his arousal quickly growing. With a smirk, he supported himself over her petite frame with one arm, using his free hand to grab onto her breast. He ground himself into her hand, letting out a gasp when she teased his tip through his pants. "Hinata..." He lowered his face and began to nip at her neck, massaging the soft mound in his hand at the same time. Part of him told him to stop, but he simply couldn't find it in him to do so. He chuckled when he felt her reach around to grab onto his ass, and he paused to look at her with an amused expression on his handsome face. "I never realized that shy little Hinata-chan could be so assertive."

Hinata blushed profusely, but didn't cease her movements. If anything, she took it to the next step by slipping her hand down the front of his pants to wrap her fingers around his rock-hard member. The action seemed to stun Naruto, and he gaped at her as his own cheeks turned red.

"Oh, fuck," he breathed, pinching her nipple through her top. "Hinata...we should stop...I mean...ah..." He closed his eyes as she gave him another squeeze.

"I-I know," she said in almost a whisper as she gazed up at him. "But I...don't want to..." She moaned as his fingers caressed her stiff nipple, squirming from the touch.

Naruto shuddered with delight as she began to venture under his boxers. "Are you sure, Hinata? I...ah...oh, fffuck..." He gasped when he felt her fingertip brush up against his slick tip and he writhed from her touch.

Hinata withdrew her hand a moment later, gazing up at him apologetically. "I-I'm sorry...it's just that..." No matter how she thought about it, putting it into words made her feel pathetic. After everything that had happened, she didn't want to lose what could possibly be her opportunity to be this close with Naruto. She didn't know what the outcome for their mission would be, and in the event that something went wrong, she didn't want to have any regrets. This could be her only chance and she didn't want to lose it. "I..." She trailed off, unable to find the words she was searching for.

Noticing her melancholy expression, Naruto leaned down to kiss her again, before pulling back slightly. "Is this really what you want?" he questioned gently, stroking her hair.

"I-I know that w-we just started dating, a-and it seems like we're rushing i-into it," she stammered, trying her hardest to keep it together. "But I...I really want this. I-I'm sure it's pathetic, and-" She was cut off by another kiss, then closed her eyes as she gave in to it. Her body trembled slightly, and when she opened her teary lavender eyes, she was met with his bright blue ones.

"It's not pathetic, Hinata," Naruto assured her with a smile. "To be honest, I want this, too. But I didn't want to force you into anything that you weren't comfortable with, because as you said, we just started going out. I still have to take you on an actual date, by the way," he added jokingly, before turning serious once more. "I'm afraid of hurting you, though. You've already been through so much pain..."

Hinata returned with a reassuring smile of her own. "Which is why I think I can handle it," she remarked shyly, a newfound blush on her face.

He grinned, planting one more quick kiss on her cheek. "Okay. I'll make sure that I go easy on you." The blond sat up and re-positioned himself, now straddling her waist as he pulled off his shirt.

Hinata stared up at him, wide-eyed as she took in his tanned, muscular torso. She let her hands run over his chiseled abs, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

Naruto grabbed onto the bottom of her top and began to gently tug it up, compelling her to sit up slightly so he could remove it completely. He swallowed hard as he gazed down at her breasts, now only concealed behind a white, lacy bra. As if he was in a trance, he reached down to carefully cup her sizable mounds, one in each hand. They felt soft under his touch, and he could feel her stiff nipples beneath the flimsy material.

"Mmm...Naruto-kun," she murmured, writhing underneath him.

In one swift movement, he managed to unclip her bra, slightly surprised that his usual clumsiness hadn't kicked in. He carefully removed the article to finally reveal her well-endowed chest in all its glory. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked on the beautiful sight before him as Hinata lay back down on the mattress. She looked absolutely adorable as she shyly gazed up at him, blushing profusely. The indigo-haired girl let out a moan as he began to gently massage her breasts in his big, warm hands.

"Do you like this?" Naruto asked, a devious smirk on his face.

Hinata could only nod in response as she gasped and moaned continually. As embarrassed as she was, it felt amazing, and she couldn't help but want more. Fighting through her apprehension, she began to tug at his pants, trying to slide them down his hips. She pulled them down enough to release his rigid cock, which was still hidden behind his boxers.

Naruto continued to caress her bountiful breasts, feeling himself throb with need as his arousal increased. He knew damn well that he was dripping, and he wondered if she was wet, too. With a bit of reluctance, he got off of her to remove his pants completely, watching as she followed suit by sliding her shorts down. Her panties matched her bra, which was now discarded carelessly on the floor next to their shirts. He slipped his hand between her legs, feeling the moisture behind the lacy material. His fingers traced over her womanly folds, causing her to whimper.

"You're soaked..." he said huskily, sliding a finger beneath the panties to touch her wet core. "Shit..."

The jinchuriki was surprised when Hinata suddenly pulled his boxers down to expose him entirely. In his distracted state, he removed his finger and felt her push him against him so he was sitting on the bed. A moment later, she was positioned between his legs, with her face only inches away from his pulsating manhood. "H-Hinata..." He hissed when she licked delicately at his tip, and his lust seemed to sky-rocket.

Hinata continued to gently lap at the area, tasting the fluid that leaked from it. Judging by the hushed cursing and squirming on Naruto's end, he seemed to be enjoying the treatment. With a confidence that she didn't know that she had, she began to suck on the head, engulfing in into her mouth.

"Oh, fuck," Naruto groaned, closing his eyes as her warm tongue pleasured him. He writhed on the mattress, then bucked slightly when she took more of his length into her mouth.

Hinata's head bobbed up and down, gradually getting deeper until his cock hit the back of her throat. While she kept up with the sucking, she removed her soaked panties and let them fall onto the floor.

"Hinata..." Naruto's breathing sped up, and he opened his eyes once more. He felt her cup his balls into once hand, gently massaging him as she continued to suck on his throbbing member. It was mind-blowing, and he could barely contain himself as she moved faster. Every so often, her tongue would run over his tip, slowly driving him mad. "Oh...please don't tease me," he begged, though the grin on his face told her to continue. He nearly came when she began to moan while sucking him, sending small vibrations through his cock. This wasn't how he wanted to end it though. Not yet.

Gently, Naruto pulled away from Hinata, whom looked up at him with confusion. Before she realized it, she was lying on her back with the blond leaning down towards her chest. His tongue flicked across one of her stiff nipples as he cupped her breasts. Hinata gasped at the sensation and she arched her back. Moments later, Naruto's hand slid down past her flat stomach, where it found its way between her thighs. She gazed at him, breathing heavily as he touched the wet, sensitive area.

"Naruto-kun," she whimpered as he slipped a finger inside her entrance. She felt as he released her other breast and wrapped his arm around her waist, though his face never moved away from her chest. He nipped at the soft, smooth mounds ever-so-softly, and swirled his tongue around her nipples. Hinata gasped, grabbing onto him as he continued to to slide in and out of her, her hands running through his short hair. She squirmed beneath him, letting out a small cry when he added a second finger, though it was more pleasurable than painful.

"You're so tight," he told her, breathing heavily. It reminded him of just how horny he was as well. His two digits kept thrusting back and forth, and he smirked when Hinata's grip on him tightened. He suckled on one of her nipples more feverishly, unable to get enough.

Hinata mewled softly. "Please..." she gasped. She didn't know how much more of this she could take, and she desperately wanted to him inside of her.

Naruto seemed to get the hint, and he withdrew his fingers, bringing them to his mouth to lick off her sweet juices. She tasted amazing, and part of him wanted more, but he couldn't hold off any longer. He carefully positioned himself between her legs, his manhood poking against her. "Are you ready?" he asked her, a thin layer of perspiration glistening on his skin.

Hinata nodded, grabbing hold of his shoulders to brace herself as he slowly began to enter her. Naruto gingerly slipped the head in, feeling her tense around him. The young woman was gazing up at him, looking both excited and scared at the same time. Smiling, the hyperactive ninja lowered his face to hers to plant a soft kiss on her lips. He would go as gentle as possible, as he didn't want to hurt her more than necessary. After a brief pause, he slid deeper into her, and that was when the first signs of pain showed up on her angelic face.

"Aah...!" Hinata winced, clutching his broad shoulders as his large member began to stretch her tight walls. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to endure the pain that was inevitable.

Naruto held her tightly, easing himself in slowly until he was almost all the way in. Hinata cried out, her nails digging into his tanned skin, leaving small indentations. The blond paused once more, showering her face with soft kisses. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked gently, not wanting to pressure her into continuing. To his surprise, though, she shook her head, even as tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"N-no," she finally managed, her lavender eyes opening to peer into his vibrant blue ones. "D-don't stop..." She whimpered again as he slid in just a bit more, her body trembling beneath his.

After a moment of hesitation, Naruto finally entered her all the way, causing Hinata to cry out in pain once more. He silenced her with a kiss, cupping her cheek in his hand as he did so. His tongue slipped into her mouth, feeling the last of her resistance give away. The young woman gasped slightly, more tears coursing down her face. She clung to his muscular body, and it was then that Naruto began to thrust his hips back and forth.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, kissing her tear-stained cheeks.

Although it hurt unlike anything else she'd ever experienced, Naruto was doing his best to soothe her to the best of his abilities, and she loved him for that. He was always so caring, and even now, he was only concerned with her well-being. Hinata took a deep breath and tried to relax a bit, to allow his cock to glide in and out of her more easily. The pain still persisted, but it seemed to lessen slightly as the jinchuriki continued, whispering words of comfort to her.

Naruto leaned down and gently nibbled on her earlobe, earning a moan for his efforts. It seemed to distract Hinata from the discomfort somewhat, so he kept it up, lightly sucking on the area. His hips moved back and forth at a steady rhythmic pace, and his hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head. His fingers entwined in her dark, silky locks, and his teeth skimmed lightly over her sensitive earlobe.

"Mmm, Naruto-kun," she moaned, her whimpering lessening as the seconds went by. Her back arched slightly, and she gasped at how deep he was inside her tight walls. She was panting heavily by now, and she gripped his shoulders harder. "Oh..."

Smirking, Naruto moved his face to her neck, where he nipped at her flawless skin. She seemed so delicate, and he was afraid that one small movement would break her. Judging by the way she wrapped her legs around his waist, though, she didn't want him to stop. The pleasure was beginning to overtake the pain and Naruto increased his speed slightly. Her core gripped his member as he he continued to thrust into her, and he let out an aroused groan.

"Fuck...Hinata..." He brought his lips to hers once more, unable to get enough of her. Her kisses were intoxicating and gradually becoming less chaste as she willingly deepened the kiss. Her gasps and moans were music to his ears, fueling his lust as he drove harder and faster into her. He waited to see if she would ask him to be more gentle, but no such request ever came. Her breasts pressed deliciously against his broad chest, his tanned skin glistening with sweat as his body moved her overs. His own grunts and groans were getting louder as he began to get closer to his peak, but he wasn't ready to end it just yet.

With a cry of ecstasy, Hinata unwrapped her legs from around his waist and arched her back beneath him. Naruto grabbed her thigh and lifted it, caressing her silky skin with his tougher hand. He slipped it under her to cup her ass, now going in as deeply as he could to hit that sweet spot inside of her.

"D-don't stop! Please!" Hinata begged, her walls clenching around his cock. Her nails raked down his back, all the way down to his buttocks, digging into him. Her heart felt like it was about to explode and she let out a pleasured moan just as she reached orgasm."Naruto-kun!"

Naruto continued to pound into her, the very last of restraint out the window. Seconds later, his body shuddered as he finally released his pent-up arousal, spurting his seed into her. "Fuck!" he grunted, holding her tight as he filled her up. Moments later, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily.

Hinata lay beneath him, panting even harder as her heart continued to race. She clung to him, burying her face into his shoulder and kissing him. They stayed in that position for another minute until Naruto finally moved his head up to gaze down at her.

"Are you...okay?" he asked, trying to catch his breath, still covering her petite frame with his much larger one. Receiving a nod and a smile from the girl, he broke into a wide grin of his own and leaned down to kiss her once more. "I love you," he said softly, his eyes locked on to hers.

"I love you, too," Hinata replied, trying to slow her own breathing down. Like him, she couldn't stop smiling and she snuggled against him, loving the way his muscles felt against her.

Naruto removed himself from her and rolled off, immediately wrapping an arm around her to draw her close. Hinata had no complaints and eagerly cuddled with him, her head resting in the crook of his arm. She let out a content sigh when he began to use his free hand to carefully stroke her hair, allowing herself to relax against him. They still needed to rest before the night's events, and now would be an ideal time, given their worn-out states.

Naruto shifted a bit, pulling her close as he turned o his side. He planted a light kiss on her forehead, inhaling the intoxicating aroma of her hair as he did so. A shiver of delight coursed through him, and if it hadn't been for the fact that they were going to be sneaking out of the village that night, he would've initiated a second round. He could feel Hinata's warm breath against his skin, her cheek resting against his broad chest. His fingers continued to gently run through her silky locks as she snuggled into him.

It didn't take long for Hinata to fall asleep in Naruto's protective hold, allowing herself to surrender to her exhaustion. The jinchuriki smiled and kissed her porcelain cheek, his lips brushing against her soft skin. He had set an alarm to wake them at nine, which would give them time to wake up, get dressed, and eat before departing. Sasuke claimed that he would arrive at elevent, and they would take their leave an hour after that. Naruto glanced down at the sleeping girl and felt his heart clench a bit. He knew that she was a highly capable kunoichi, but he couldn't help but worry about her safety.

 _'She'll be fine,'_ he silently convinced himself. _'I won't let anything happen to her.'_ He shifted a bit, closing his eyes as he, too, drifted off to sleep.

xxxXXXxxx

The alarm clock buzzed loudly, rudely waking Naruto and Hinata from their peaceful slumber. With a groan of complaint, Naruto begrudgingly let go of Hinata and turned to shut the alarm off. It took him a moment, but he managed to silence it after a few clumsy attempts. He then rolled back to face the indigo-haired young woman once more, reluctant to get out of bed. They still had another three hours until they had to leave, so there really was no need to rush. Naruto wanted to enjoy his time with Hinata as much as he could and he reached to grab onto one of her breasts.

Hinata let out a soft gasp, and her lavender eyes opened to see a pair of blue ones peering down at her. "N-Naruto-kun?" She moaned and arched her back when he gave her another squeeze. "Oh!" His touches felt amazing and she couldn't help but grind against him, feeling his hardness poking against her.

Naruto grinned, pinching her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, then brought his lips to hers when she let out a pleasured cry. He knew that it would be smart to conserve their energy, but it didn't mean that they couldn't have a little fun in the meantime. He moved onto his knees to grab a hold of both her breasts, greedily fondling them in his large hands. His manhood grew more rigid as Hinata gazed up at him, her face flushed adorably as she writhed and moaned. He leaned down close to her, his lips brushing against her earlobe.

"When we come back," he whispered huskily, "You're mine." He kissed her rosy lips, playfully nipping them as he gave her nipple another pinch. Moments later, he felt her delicate fingers caressing his balls, and his cock pulsated. If he didn't stop this soon, he wouldn't be able to stop at all. With a sigh, he let go of her and helped her off the bed, leading her towards the bathroom so they could clean up from their lovemaking session earlier.

The two of them stood under the hot spray of water, Naruto holding Hinata up as she struggled to remain standing. She was slightly sore, and her body trembled a bit, but the blond kept her from falling to her knees.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, caressing her back gently as he kept his other arm wrapped around her.

Hinata nodded, resting her head against his chest as she enjoyed his soft touches. She held onto him, the water washing away the remnants of their arousal. Naruto's lips brushed up against her forehead, and he could feel her breasts pressing up against his body deliciously. He tilted her face up to kiss her lips, and if it weren't for him holding her up, she surely would've collapsed.

The jinchuriki got out of the shower first and quickly dried himself off, then wrapped the towel around his waist. Hinata turned off the water and took the towel that he offered to her, having just enough time to wrap it around her body before he whisked her into his arms. She didn't protest as he carried her back to his bedroom, her cheek against his broad, glistening chest.

"Hm, I'll have to explain to Sasuke why you're not able to walk," he quipped, sitting down on the edge of the bed with her nestled on his lap. "That should be interesting."

Hinata looked up at him with alarm, her face turning bright red. "N-no, it's okay. I-I can walk," she stammered. "I just...um..."

Naruto simply chuckled and kissed her, letting his lips linger against hers for a moment. "I'm just teasing... But after everything is over with, I'll make sure that you can't walk."

The indigo-haired girl buried her face in his chest in embarrassment, shivering with delight at the same time. Luckily for her, they still had well over two hours before it would be time to leave. That should give her plenty of time to recover.

 **Okay, that wraps up the chapter, and I know that I'm a perv but I really don't give a damn. Anyway, the next chapter will be posted in about two weeks, so probably any day between Friday and Sunday, depending on how hectic my schedule is. I don't want to have a set day in case that I've fallen behind due to unforeseen circumstances. So all I will say is that I will update in two weeks, some point over the weekend.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry that I'm a bit late, but you all seem to have learned by now that I'm not always able to keep up with my deadlines. Nevertheless, you've been patient, so thanks for that. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, so please read and review.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 17_

"Sasuke should be here any minute now," Naruto remarked, glancing at the clock. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Hinata admitted. "But I'll be fine. I just want this all to end..."

He smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It will. I promise that we'll take care of it. You look cute, by the way."

Hinata's face turned a bit red as she hugged herself modestly. "S-since I don't have my mission clothes, I had to make due with what I have here." She was dressed in a dark purple short-sleeved blouse, the neckline dipping lower than she would've liked, and a pair of tight black capri pants. She wore a pair of plain black sandals to complete her attire.

"Not that I'm complaining, but don't you have you have spare mission clothes at the compound?" Naruto inquired, his eyes lingering on her breasts, noticing how the pressed together as she hugged herself.

"I-I do, and I'm allowed to stop by to pick up clothing, but I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me take my mission clothes," she told him. "Especially Hanabi. I-It's fine if I wear this instead."

Naruto nodded in understanding, then heard the door to his apartment opening. Sasuke stepped into the living room a moment later, his expression stoic. "I was able to convince Sakura to cover for us."

"What exactly did you tell her?" Naruto asked.

"I told her that there was something important that we needed to do that we couldn't let anyone else find out about," Sasuke replied. "She wanted details, but I was pretty vague about it."

The blond quirked an eyebrow incredulously. "And she still agreed to it?"

"She said that you and I are idiots, and that we're crazy, but she'll help us."

Hinata frowned slightly. "What exactly do you need her to do for us?"

"Nothing serious," Sasuke said. "Basically, we just need her to act as though she's come to check up on you. I have a feeling that Kakashi-sensei will be stopping by to talk about what was found in the pit. If he does, there's a chance that he'll ask some questions."

"About what?" Naruto asked with confusion.

"I think it's obvious that those bodies were the missing shinobi. He might want details regarding what types of methods were used while you were at the facility, Hinata, to help determine how exactly they might've been killed. Do you know?" Sasuke questioned.

She ran a hand through her hair. "Umm, well...I was told that some of them died from the experiments. I-I think one of them had a seizure...a few more died from severe injuries that they sustained. A-and a few others...killed themselves. Th-that's what I was told, at least."

"Well, we need to be prepared in case he shows up," he replied. "You're each leaving behind a clone, but in the event that either of them dispel, especially yours, Hinata, we need Sakura here. She's going to show up early in the morning and just stay here until about noon. If Kakashi-sensei comes by and your clone is gone, Sakura is going to inform him that you're resting. He won't argue with her if she tells him that you're still recovering, and he'll be more inclined to leave rather than stick around and wait for you to 'wake up'. I don't want him to try to find you two, and realize that you're not in the village. Also, Naruto's an idiot, so his clones are just as stupid, and we don't need our cover to be blown."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean, you bastard?" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke shrugged indifferently. "It's not hard to figure out, but then again you're kind of slow..."

"So Sakura serves as a back-up plan if my clone dispels," Hinata spoke up before Naruto could angrily retort to his friend's insult.

The raven-haired male nodded. "More or less. Even at the risk of Kakashi-sensei showing up, we can't wait around forever to make our move. The sooner we get this problem taken care of, the better."

"But how do we even know those two are even near the village?" Naruto asked. "They could've taken off."

"They're still around," Hinata said quietly, looking down at the floor. "Reiko and Mikoto were nearby, so I'm sure that he hasn't left the area either. Something just tells me that he's close by."

"Can you sense his chakra?" Sasuke asked.

She shook her head. "No. It was random with Reiko's, but I wasn't seeking her out. So I might pick up on him while we're out, but I can't be sure."

"Well, you're one of the best trackers around," Naruto pointed out with a smile. "With your Byakugan, my Sage Mode, and Sasuke's Sharingan, that bastard won't even have a chance."

"Don't underestimate him," Hinata warned them, her voice serious. "I don't know what he's capable of, so prepare yourselves. He's very meticulous with his planning, so if we're not cautious, he could lead us right into a trap."

"Do you know how he operates?" Sasuke inquired. "Anything about him that we should look out for?"

She sighed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "All I know is that he's very dangerous. I really only saw him on a few occasions, but something about him...doesn't sit well with me. I don't know what, so that's why I'm saying not to let your guard down."

He nodded in understanding. "Okay. We leave in an hour, when things quiet down a bit more. We need to be able to access the tunnel without anyone noticing us, so we'll wait until everyone has gone home for the night. Use this time for any last minute preparations."

xxxXXXxxx

Everything had gone according to Sasuke's plan, with the three of them successfully sneaking out of the village. Naruto and Hinata had left their clones at his apartment, waiting for Sakura's arrival in the morning. Sakura was going to have leave by noon, which gave them exactly twelve hours to find Kusanagi and Kurome, take them down, and then return home. That was not including any unforeseen set-backs, and they were not sure what was in store for them. Taking any time after Sakura's departure would increase their risk of getting caught.

Due to the darkness shrouded in the forest, Hinata insisted on leading the way, being the only one who could clearly navigate the way through. Naruto had been reluctant to let her venture on ahead, even a short distance, but had begrudgingly changed his mind when he had smacked his head on a tree branch trying to lead the way. The trio paused, allowing the clumsy blond a few moments to regain his senses.

"Just let Hinata do it, you idiot," Sasuke grumbled. "She's a fully capable kunoichi."

"I know that," Naruto snapped back, rubbing his sore head. "I just don't want to take any chances..."

Hinata gently spoke up. "We're going to have to, Naruto-kun. But I'm sure everything will turn out fine," she added with a small smile.

"Yeah, you're right," he relented, smirking a bit. "Everything will be okay."

"Are you finished being an idiot yet?" Sasuke questioned dryly. "Or do you plan on crashing into every tree for the sake of being five feet ahead of Hinata?"

"Shut up!"

Hinata listened to them bicker for another moment, mildly amused by their antics. She suddenly winced as a brief jolt of pain surged through her head, vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared. Between the nearly pitch black surroundings, as well as the noise of their squabbling, neither Naruto nor Sasuke were aware of her troubled expression. She put her hand on the right side of her head and looked into the distance, her eyes narrowing.

"Naruto-kun. Sasuke." She spoke softly, but it had been enough to catch both males' attention.

"Did you see something?" Naruto asked.

"N-not exactly. It's really faint, and I barely picked up on it, but I think I sensed Kusanagi's chakra," she informed them.

Naruto gaped at her with shock. "Really? That's awesome! So we're going in the right direction then?"

"We are, but I don't know just close he is," she replied. "I'm surprised that I even detected his chakra in the first place. I-it's incredibly faint, though, so I don't know if I'll wind up losing him."

"How far can you see with your Byakugan?" Sasuke inquired.

"About twenty kilometers. I haven't seen anything yet, but he has to be within the range. I-I doubt that I could sense him if he was any further than that," Hinata remarked.

Naruto reached over to hug her. "But we're on the right track!"

"Let go of me, you moron!" Sasuke shoved him away.

"Sorry, I thought you were Hinata," the jinchuriki grumbled, this time successfully pulling Hinata into his arms. "Maybe don't stand so close to me."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes I wonder why I tolerate you..."

Before another argument could start, Hinata spoke up once more. "Let's get going. O-or does your head still hurt, Naruto-kun?"

"Nah, I'm fine," he replied nonchalantly. "Let's go."

At Hinata's request, Naruto and Sasuke remained silent as she continued to lead the way, concentrating as hard as she could to pinpoint Kusanagi's location. Since she couldn't see anything as they gradually grew closer towards that hint trail of chakra she detected, it was plausible that their targets were hiding themselves. It would make sense if they were hiding deep within a cave, as she couldn't actually see _through_ the cave. She could, however, locate the source of the chakra as long as she didn't lose it.

"It's becoming more noticeable," Hinata informed them, picking up her pace a bit. "This way."

"And to think that Naruto didn't want to bring you along," Sasuke mused.

Naruto threw him a dirty look. "Shut up. We all know why I wasn't a big fan of the idea. But it was the right call, I guess," he added with a smirk. "If we're getting close, though, maybe we should rest for a few minutes."

The three of them leapt down from the trees, the moonlight casting a dull illumination through the forest. Although they had stopped, Hinata's attention remained on the man's chakra, afraid that if she became distracted, she may ultimately lose track of him. She allowed herself to sit down with a sigh, massaging her right temple two fingers. The dull throbbing in her head was more of an annoyance than an actual pain, which was probably a good thing. She had to remain alert no matter what.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked, sinking down beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. "You're not pushing yourself too hard, are you?"

Hinata smiled and shook her head, leaning against his broad shoulder. "No, I'm fine, Naruto-kun. You don't need to worry about me so much."

"I know," he replied with a playful pout, hugging her tightly. "You're really strong, and I know that you can take care of yourself. But as your boyfriend, it's my job to be an overprotective pain in the ass, so you're just going to have to deal with it."

"You've always been kind of overprotective, so it's nothing that I'm not used to," she replied with a small laugh.

Naruto snickered. "And it's not going to change any time soon." He drew back a bit and gently tilted her face up so she would look at him, his blue eyes locking onto her lavender ones. A moment later, he leaned down slightly and brought his lips to hers, his hand snaking behind her head. His fingers felt the silkiness of her hair as their kiss deepened, and his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Hinata let out a moan so soft it was nearly inaudible, but it was enough for Naruto to notice. He smirked into the kiss, his other arm wrapping around her waist to pull her even closer. Before the blond ninja could do anything else, however, the sound of Sasuke clearly his throat made the couple freeze.

"I am sitting right here, you know," he remarked flatly.

"Well, it's not like you have to watch or anything," Naruto grumbled, oblivious to Hinata's bright red face. "Besides, I figured that it was dark enough where you wouldn't really see us anyway."

Sasuke snorted in contempt. "I'm pretty sure that you can keep it in your pants until you get home, you idiot."

"I wasn't even going to try anything like that," Naruto angrily retorted, unwilling to admit that the thought had briefly crossed his mind. However, that was only because he had momentarily forgotten that Sasuke had come along, too. He was not used to going on a mission, unofficial as it was, with his best friend after quite a few years. Even still, he was glad to be able to see him after so long. Now if only he could convince the bastard to stay longer than he'd planned.

"We should probably get going," Hinata murmured, her blush beginning to fade. "S-sorry, but I'm afraid of losing track of him if we wait too long."

The three of them continued on their path, remaining quiet as to not break Hinata's concentration. After a few minutes, the silence was broken once more by Naruto. "Do you think he might be expecting you, Hinata?"

"It's possible," she admitted, refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm sure he realized that he wouldn't be able to infiltrate Konoha and was probably hoping to lure me out instead. I can't say for sure, but it seems reasonable."

"You're probably right," Sasuke agreed. "We don't know anything about this guy, so we should expect that he knows we're coming. He might've laid out some traps, wherever he's hiding."

Hinata glanced around the area as they continued to leap through the trees at a brisk pace. "I haven't seen any yet, but don't let your guard down."

"Hinata, I don't know if I've ever told you, but it's really cute when you get all serious and take charge," Naruto said with a half smile.

"Focus, you moron," Sasuke sighed.

The blond glared at him. "Can't say the same about you, ya bastard."

"You are such an insufferable person," the Uchiha grumbled.

"Shut up!"

While the two began to bicker once more, Hinata was able to tune them out as she followed the faint essence of chakra. She had a feeling that there was still quite some distance for them to cover before they found Kusanagi, but they were getting closer. Little by little, the chakra seemed to become more noticeable, and she squinted to see as far as she could in the distance. Several kilometers away, she could make out a mountain range, and she felt her heart skip a beat at the realization. She stopped on one of the three branches, prompting the two males to quiet down and halt momentarily.

"Did you find something? Is he nearby?" Naruto asked her.

"I think so," she replied. "There's a mountain range in that direction, and even though I'm not positive, I think they are hiding somewhere in that area."

Sasuke looked in the direction that she'd indicated. "So we'll find him and that other girl, and see if there's anything else going on. Like you suggested, he might've set up traps."

"Not only that, but..." Hinata trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"But what?" Naruto gently pressed.

The indigo-haired girl shook her head. "No, forget it. I-it's stupid... I doubt he has any equipment like that..."

"Are you implying that he might be conducting experiments while hiding out in the mountains?" Sasuke inquired.

She hesitated for a brief moment. "I-it's possible. I mean, he's the type of person who would keep up with his research, I suppose. But I doubt he has the correct equipment he needs in order to do it." That was what she wanted to believe, at least.

"Well, let's search the place and make sure they're not keeping anyone captive. It shouldn't take long with the amount of clones that I can make," Naruto pointed out. "Destroy whatever equipment you find, I guess, and free anyone that's being held hostage."

"I'm sure you both know this, but aim to kill." Sasuke paused and looked at Hinata. "Naruto and I can take care of it, if you'd prefer. But if you want your revenge, I won't take it away from you."

She shook her head. "I'm not looking for anything like that. I just want them to be stopped."

"And they will be," the jinchuriki told her, reaching over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "This will all be over soon."

"Since we know where he is now, there's no need to run in order to get there," Sasuke remarked, his body cloaking itself in chakra. "Susanoo will get us there faster."

xxxXXXxxx

"This place is huge," Sasuke muttered, scanning the area. "Those two could be anywhere in these caves..."

The three of them had found an opening once they'd reached the mountains, following a single, dimly lit path that led them deeper into a winding cave. After a few minutes, they had come across a junction with several different paths.

"And they might not be the only ones here," Hinata added. "I can't pinpoint their exact locations, but I know that they're somewhere close by."

Naruto smirked. "All I have to do is make a bunch of clones and we should find them in no time."

"That would make the process quicker, but we can't rely solely on your clones. They'll dispel if they're attacked, so it would be best if one of us tracked them down. That being said, the three of us should split up and check different paths," Sasuke said.

"I'm not letting Hinata out of my sight," Naruto replied stubbornly.

Sasuke sighed. "You can send a clone with her. I can't deny that one of your clones will probably locate them first, given the numbers you can summon. But as I said before, in the event that those two are found, it would be better for us to engage with them rather than your clones. If they vanish, they might get away and we may not be able to find them so easily a second time."

"I think my clones can handle them," the blond shot back, clearly annoyed. "I'm not going to give that bastard a chance to go near her."

"Naruto-kun...I..." Hinata's voice trailed off, unsure of what to say.

Before the blond could respond, Sasuke spoke up first. "Naruto, since you're such a hopeless idiot, I'll spell it out for you. Even though she doesn't know their exact location, Hinata can still vaguely sense them. What if they can sense her, as well? If she's alone, they might make a move and try to find her."

"That's exactly why I don't want to leave her side!" Naruto snapped, his anger rising. "What the hell is your problem?"

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed, now displaying his own irritation. "Do you really have that little confidence in Hinata, where you think she can't handle herself? You're not giving her the credit that she deserves. I was told that she was the only person to survive those experiments, even after getting tortured for two weeks. After everything she's been through, I'm sure that she'll be just fine."

"That's not it," Naruto retorted, though his tone had softened a bit. He reached over and took Hinata's hand into his, giving it a light squeeze as he met her gaze. "Hinata, it's not that I don't think you're strong. It's the complete opposite, really. But I'm just afraid of what could happen if something goes wrong. I can't lose you again."

She smiled at him reassuringly. "You won't. I promise that I'll be fine, Naruto-kun. But if you'd feel better leaving a clone with me, then that's okay."

"So are we going to do this, then?" Sasuke asked. "There are eight paths in view, but each one could branch into several more. There's no way to tell just how deep these tunnels go, so we're just going to search the whole thing."

Naruto's Sage Mode activated, and his eyes widened. "I don't know how many, but there's more than just those two hiding out in these tunnels. They could be workers, they could be test subjects, I don't know. But if people are being held captive here, I'll have my clones get them out." He summoned about fifty clones, unsure of just how large the area was. "You stay with Hinata and protect her," he told one of them, then looked over to the others. "The rest of you will search this entire place until we find those two bastards. If you find anyone being held captive, get them out of here and bring them to safety. And if any of you find our targets...bring them back alive."

"What are you going to do when you see them?" Sasuke questioned, activating his eyes.

Naruto smirked. "Just talk to them a bit." He turned his attention to Hinata, growing serious once more. "If you find them, my clone will take care of them so you don't have to. He'll protect you, so everything will be fine." His words had been intended for her, but he was trying to convince himself that those words were true. Hinata would be okay. She was strong, and his clone would make sure nothing happened to her.

She nodded, smiling softly at him. "I know. You don't have to be so worried, Naruto-kun."

The jinchuriki pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Sorry, but that's not possible. Once you agreed to be my girlfriend, you signed up for me being annoyingly overprotective of you. But then again, it's always been like that."

"I don't mean to break this up, but we'd better get going," Sasuke said.

Reluctantly, Naruto released Hinata and begrudgingly allowed her to disappear down one of the tunnels with the clone he'd assigned to protect her. He then started down a different one, sending the rest of the clones to scatter throughout the winding tunnels that seemed to continually branch into even more paths. It was a good thing that he had summoned as many clones as he'd had; it would make the process of locating everyone that much quicker. He could only pray that he found their targets before anyone else. Naruto hadn't been lying to Sasuke when he'd said that he wanted to speak with Kusanagi and Kurome. But words were not the only things he intended to exchange between them. Just as the thought passed through his mind, his blue eyes became red.

 **Okay, I'm tired as hell, and I'm starting to hallucinate after spending too many hours trying to be productive and finish this freaking chapter. I hope you liked it, and excuse whatever errors I missed. I will try to update again in two weeks.**


	18. Chapter 18

**I was finally able to update, even though it took me longer than it should've. I've been binging on Netflix recently so that probably has something to do with it... Anyway, I'll try to update again in about two weeks, and there are only a few chapters left. On that note, please read and review.**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 18_

Naruto heard a muffled explosion, coming from a different part of the caverns. Some of his clones that had been in that area had dispelled, but he had expected there to be traps. Luckily, Hinata hadn't been anywhere near the explosion, and he knew that his clone would keep her safe. He still wished that he had stayed with her, but Sasuke had been so damn persistent.

The blond sighed and continued down the dark path, his body enveloped in a churning orange chakra, lighting the way for him. His Sage Mode was activated, and he could tell that there were several people nearby. The question was, were they workers? Or were they being held captive? Keeping his guard up, he kept up his brisk pace as he followed the path. He closed in on an open clearing in the cave, and he hurried as the chakras grew more noticeable. He entered the area a moment later, ready to fight whatever opponent awaited him. To his surprise, however, there were no attackers waiting to ambush him. Instead, he saw rows of identical steel cages lined up. Each cage contained a single person, all of them forced to sit within the cramped space. Men and women stared at him with delirium through the thick bars. Their clothes were dirty and torn, and their bodies were covered in cuts and bruises. Some of them muttered to themselves, oblivious to Naruto's presence. Some were asleep, and others reached out through their cages with desperate expressions.

"Shit..." he muttered, his blue eyes wide as he took in the disturbing sight. Apparently Kusanagi had kept up with his research, even in a place like that.

"G-get me out of here," a young woman gasped, on the verge of hysteria. "P-please!"

Naruto snapped out of his daze, rushing over to the cage as he summoned ten clones to speed up the process of freeing everyone. "Get everyone to safety," he told his clones once each of the cages had been forced open. "There are twenty hostages and ten of you, so each of you can take two and-"

Screaming, the woman that Naruto had freed first, the one whom had been begging him to release her, lunged at one of his clones. It dispelled with a puff of smoke, having let his guard down. Naruto gaped at the female, noticing a wild look in her eyes. It was then that he noticed the other prisoners shared her crazed expression, all of them suddenly alert.

"That drug," Naruto guessed to himself, looking around at the group as they surrounded him and his clones. He couldn't think of anything else that would've caused them to act that way. "Try not to hurt them too badly," he instructed his clones. "Just knock them out and get them out of here."

Each of the prisoners began to radiate with chakra, indicating that they weren't going to be taken down easily. Even if they had grown substantially stronger from the effects of the drug, he needed to hold back in order not to inflict any serious damage.

A young man with a blood-stained shirt pitched forward, attempting to grab onto him. The blond moved out of the way, driving his elbow down between the man's shoulder blades. He crashed onto the ground, only to launch himself back up and wildly attack Naruto at second time. Before he could land a blow, however, he suddenly found himself in a choke-hold.

"I'm going to need you to go to sleep," Naruto told him, rendering him unconscious a moment later.

Several of the other prisoners followed suit, lunging at him and his clones with a killing intent. While the clones fended off their attackers, Naruto couldn't help but notice some of the other shinobi that had been held captive. One of them was violently slamming his head against the wall repeatedly, leaving behind a larger bloodstain after each time.

"Hey!" Naruto sped over to stop him, but reached him too late as the man bashed himself once last time with a messy splatter of blood. His body crumpled to the ground, a puddle of blood forming around his head as his eyes stared up vacantly. Naruto cursed under his breath, angry at himself for not being able to stop him.

Another one of the captives clawed at her own throat, severing an artery. Two more had collapsed with seizures. Just what the hell was in that drug? And to think that Hinata had been injected with it as well.

"Knock them out before anyone one else kills themselves!" Naruto shouted to his clones, knocking out two of the attackers as once. "And then get them out of this place!" He rushed over to one of the men violently shaking on the ground, grabbing onto his shoulders. Bloody foam leaked from the man's mouth, dribbling down his chin as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He jerked one last time, finally falling still a moment later. Swearing, Naruto released the man, noticing that the other man who had been seizing had also gone still. Out of the twenty prisoners, four of them were dead, and Naruto blamed himself. Part of him had seem distracted, his mind trying to comprehend what was going on.

"I'm going on ahead," he announced, rising to his feet.

Two of his clones had dispelled, but the remaining eight were able to subdue the rest of the prisoners, knocking them all unconscious. He instructed them to bring them outside, and recommended that they tie all of them up to ensure that they couldn't escape or attack. In the meantime, he ventured further down the path he had decided to follow, thinking only of Hinata. So far, she and his clone hadn't encountered any dangers or traps. With any luck, they wouldn't run into any difficulties at all. Naruto knew it was all wishful thinking, however.

xxxXXXxxx

Sasuke walked deeper down the path, a small flame in the palm of his hand to illuminate his way. His Sharingan was activated, and he had come across a few traps that had been set. He easily avoided or disabled each one, heading further into the musty cavern. A faint chakra in the distance caught his attention and he hurried in the direction where it had come from. Just as he neared the location, he heard the sound of a person running, their footsteps echoing off the walls.

"Hey!" He rushed after them, quickly catching up in a matter of seconds. "Who are you?" he demanded, grabbing hold of the person and pushing them against the wall. However, he immediately answered his own question as he actually looked at their face, recognizing it from the pictures that Kakashi had shown him. "Kurome," he muttered, holding the panting woman in place. "Where's Kusanagi?"

"I'm not telling you anything!" she shot back defiantly, trying to wrench free. "Let me go!"

Sasuke sighed. "I'm afraid I can't do that, but I'm sure you already figured that out. I'll ask you again; where is your boss? Is he here?"

She smirked, adjusting her glasses as they began to slide down the bridge of her nose. "Yes, he's here. He was anticipating Hinata's arrival, and he had a feeling that she would be bringing along some reinforcements."

"So you're telling me that he knew that she was coming?" He questioned, tightening his grip on her slightly.

"He knew that she would figure out his location one way or another. Hinata is exceptionally skilled like that, and he saw just how much potential she had, which is why he specifically targeted her in the first place. She has a strong bloodline, and out of the test subjects that have been experimented on, she's the only one who hasn't died or retained permanent brain damage. The drug enhances certain abilities, and although our newest subjects have grown stronger in some of those areas, they have adopted a more feral temperament. Hinata, though..she's different. He knows what she's capable of, and he was really impressed when he found out she escaped. He wasn't happy about it, of course, but he knew that he had found a worthy candidate. If he can get his hands on her again, he can make her even stronger."

Sasuke looked at her coldly, suddenly pressing a kunai against her throat as she attempted to jerk free again. "There's no chance in that happening. Now either take me to him, or you can deal with the consequences."

"What are you going to do?" she asked with a short laugh. "Slit my throat? Do it."

"Do you honestly think you're getting off that easy?" he asked, thrusting her into a genjutsu as she looked into his eyes.

Kurome found herself lying on something hard, shrouded in complete darkness. "What the...?" She went to sit up, only to bump her forehead against something just as solid. She winced and grabbed her forehead, then reached up in a state of confusion. There was a heavy slab of stone sealing her in what she realized what was a stone casket. "Let me out of here!" she yelled, trying to push the slab off. Unable to budge it, she began to hyperventilate, already feeling her oxygen depleting.

"Tell me where he is."

The sound of Sasuke's icy voice graced her ears, though he seemed far away. Everything else was silent, other than her own gasps as she continued to panic. Refusing to give up, she attempted to push off the heavy seal, her muscles becoming sore and cramped. She let out a frustrated scream, now beating at the stone with her fists. "LET ME OUT!" she wailed, tears running down her face as she kept up with her struggle. She could feel warm blood on her hands, but she ignored it as she frantically tried to break free.

"You can try all you want...but you'll never get out of there. Either tell me where Kusanagi is, or you can remained trapped until you suffocate. Also...you're not alone..."

Kurome froze, holding her breath, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She wasn't alone? What did he mean by that? She heard a tiny scrape, followed by a squeak, and then felt something fuzzy brush against her leg. Her eyes widened, and although she couldn't see, she now knew what he meant as she screamed as loudly as she could. She had always had a fear of rats, taking great pleasure whenever she could use them in experiments. They were filthy vermin, and the aspect of being near one, much less surrounded by them, was enough to nearly cause her to have a heart attack. She shrieked and flailed as she felt several of them crawling and climbing over her, the sound of their squeaks and scampering claws echoing all around her. Sobbing hysterically, she squirmed, desperately trying to get them off, even as she remained blind to everything that was happening. She didn't have to see them to know they were there, especially when she could feel them all over her.

Sasuke watched patiently as the woman screamed her head off, trying to fend off the rats that his genjutsu had caused her to see. "Are you ready to talk?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" she wailed, her voice cracking as her hands beat at the seal again. "PLEASE LET ME OUT! PLEASE! I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS, I SWEAR! PLEASE!"

With a sigh, Sasuke broke the genjutsu and allowed her to fall to the ground. Kurome panted heavily, still weeping as she hugged herself and curled up against the wall. Her strawberry blond hair was a tangled mess, and there was a small crack in one of the lenses of her glasses.

"So you honestly don't know where your boss is?" Sasuke questioned with a hint of annoyance. "Because I can keep you in that genjutsu for hours if I really have to take that route."

"NO!" Kurome yelled, looking up at him with wild, terrified eyes. "Please! Anything but that! I-I swear that I don't know w-where he is! He d-doesn't always tell me where he's h-heading. All I know i-is that he's waiting for Hinata."

He contemplated what she said, considering her words. "Okay. I still have to take you with me." Before she could protest, he quickly knocked her out and slung her unconscious body over his shoulder. The flame he'd used as a source of light had gone out, but he could see a faint glow further down the way. He followed the path, realizing that there were candles mounted along the walls, each about fifty feet apart. It wasn't much of a light source, but it was more than enough for him to see where he was going.

 _'All I know i-is that he's waiting for Hinata.'_ Kurome's words echoed in Sasuke's head as he continued forward. Did Kusanagi know which direction she was coming from? Better yet, did Hinata actually know where he was and intentionally headed in the direction where he would be waiting? Naruto's clone was with her, so she wouldn't be alone if she found him first. Still, one strong hit would be enough to dispel it, leaving Hinata alone, and if anything happened to her, Sasuke was sure that Naruto would go berserk. Hinata would be fine, though. She was strong enough to handle things, even if Naruto wanted to be an overprotective pain in the ass about it. Splitting up had been the wisest decision, despite what Naruto thought. That's what Sasuke told himself, at least.

xxxXXXxxx

"Are you okay?"

Hinata paused and looked over at Naruto's clone with confusion. "Huh?"

"Well, you've been really quiet, so I just wanted to make sure that you're alright," he told her with concern.

"Oh, I-I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind, I guess," she replied, a weak smile on her face.

He put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly "Everything will be okay. I promise."

"Y-you're right," she said, trying to relax a bit. "We'd better get going then..."

The two of them continued to walk down the dark path, Hinata using her Byakugan to see. They came up to a fork, where three more paths branched out in different directions. The clone watched Hinata with curiosity as she led him down the one at the right, as if she knew exactly where she was going.

"Do you sense him down this way?" he asked. "Even with Sage Mode, I'm not sure if the chakra I'm sensing belongs to him."

"I can sense his chakra coming from this direction, so I'm assuming that we're going the correct way," she answered.

He gently took hold of her wrist to stop her. "If that's the case, we should go back and find Naruto. That way he can go with you and the two of you can take that bastard on together."

Hinata hesitated a moment, looking down the dark path. "Maybe. I-I'm not quite sure if this is the exact way though, since I can't pinpoint his location. I can't see him with my Byakugan either, for some reason."

The clone nodded in understanding. "Okay, we'll keep going for now. But when you think you know where he is, we'll go find Naruto. I know where he is, so it won't take long."

"What about Sasuke?" She asked. "Should we look for him as well?"

"Nah, I don't think that will be necessary. You and Naruto can look for him once the two of you take care of that bastard."

They walked for a bit longer, though Hinata slowed down after a few minutes.

"Are you okay?" The clone questioned with worry.

"I'm fine, sorry. It's been a few weeks since I've gone on a mission, so I'm not quite used to all the activity at once," she told him.

"Do you need to rest for a few minutes?"

"No, I'm okay. The sooner I can pinpoint his exact location, the better, and then we'll go find Naruto-kun."

"Don't push yourself too hard. You don't want to overdo it," he reminded her with a smile. He frowned when she didn't respond, her face down as she breathed heavily. "Hinata, are you okay? Hinata?" He moved closer to her, reaching out to gently touch her arm. "Hina-"

Hinata suddenly thrust her palm into his chest, her lavender eyes staring into his wide blue ones as he gaped at her with shock. The clone sensed a sudden spike in her chakra just before he dispelled in a puff of smoke. Wasting no time, Hinata sped down the winding path as fast as she could, her body cloaking itself in blue chakra. A faint smile graced her lips as she rapidly closed in on her destination. Kusanagi was waiting for her, and it would be rude to keep him waiting.

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto's eyes widened, realizing what had just happened. Hinata had intentionally dispelled his shadow clone, which meant...

"Shit!" Naruto immediately took off, speeding down the tunnel as he raced towards where Hinata was heading. He never should've listened to Sasuke about splitting up. Now Hinata was on her way to face that bastard, alone.

 ** _'You think she can't handle it?'_ **Kurama asked with a hint of surprise. _ **'Sasuke is right about you not giving her enough credit.'**_

 _'Shut up!'_ Naruto snapped inwardly at the fox, his body cloaked in chakra. With his Sage Mode activated, he would be able to track Hinata down and stop her before she reached Kusanagi. _'I don't know what that guy's capable of, but I'm not going to take the chance and let her fight him by herself.'_ Also, it was only logical that he would be concerned about his girlfriend's safety.

 _'Well, you took care of the hostages, so you might as well meet up with them anyway,'_ Kurama mused.

Naruto could sense Sasuke nearby and seconds later, he saw his raven-haired friend walking towards him. He was carrying a woman over his shoulder, and it only took Naruto a moment to realize that it was Kurome.

"I didn't kill her if that's what you're wondering," Sasuke remarked as Naruto glowered at him.

"I don't care about that right now. Hinata dispelled my shadow clone, and it's all because you said we should split up. I never should've listened to you!" Naruto snarled, his eyes turning red.

"So she found him," Sasuke replied calmly. "Or she knows where to find him at the very least."

The blond gaped at him with disbelief. "How the hell can you be so calm about this!? I found twenty people that he was keeping hostage, and it seems like he was experimenting on them. He's obviously dangerous!"

"You got them out?"

Naruto growled, his patience at its limit. "Yes, my shadow clones brought them to safety. There's no one else here other than us. So I'm going to find Hinata and make sure that nothing happens to her."

"Just let Hinata handle it," the Uchiha replied stoically.

"What!? Are you out of your mind!?" Naruto was fuming, practically shaking with rage.

Sasuke sighed. "Then how about we find her, but don't interfere with her fight."

"Like hell I won't," Naruto growled.

"Why can't you just let her do this? This is something that Hinata needs to settle on her own. This is her fight, not yours. For someone who was raving about how strong she is, you're acting as though it's the complete opposite," Sasuke remarked coldly.

The jinchuriki was quiet for a moment as he contemplated Sasuke's words, his anger slowly melting away. As much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke was right. Hinata was strong, so why wouldn't he give her a chance?

"I know that you want to protect her," Sasuke continued. "But you can't fight everyone's fights for them. She has to be the one to take him down. And in the event that something goes wrong, then, and only then, will you intervene."

Naruto let out a sigh, nodding his head. "Okay... But either way, we need to meet up with her, so we should still at least go to where she is."

"Then let's get going. We're on a time crunch here, so the sooner we leave this place, the better."

"What are you going to do about her?" the blond questioned, glancing at the unconscious girl.

Sasuke shifted her weight slightly. "Haven't decided yet. She could be used as potential leverage if something does go wrong. It would be reckless to kill her like those other two, but if it becomes necessary, I will take care of it. Now, do you know where to find Hinata?"

"I can sense her, so I should be able to figure out where she is. My clone was with her, but I don't exactly remember what area they were in because it was so dark," Naruto added with a complaint.

"So basically, your clone, much like yourself, didn't pay attention to his surroundings. Big surprise," the raven-haired male deadpanned.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Shut up. Now let's hurry."

xxxXXXxxx

"Hinata...I've been expecting you."

Hinata locked gazes with the man before her, who stood about two hundred feet away. Kusanagi had chosen a larger, more open space for their meeting point, venturing away from the cramped tunnels.

"I hope I didn't keep you long," the indigo-haired girl said, her voice calm as she slowly approached him.

"No, not at all," he replied with an arrogant smirk. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."

Hinata paused, feigning a mildly surprised expression. "Is that so? Then I'd better make it well worth your time."

"Now before you do anything, I'd just like to say that you have gone above and beyond my expectations. You are an exceptional young woman, and it would be a shame to not put your full potential to use," Kusanagi told her. "You're the only subject who has retained mental stability while benefiting from the results that enhancement."

"Mental stability? I'm assuming that you don't know about Reiko, then?" She took a few steps closer.

"Oh, I figured that you killed her. Mikoto is dead, too. Which is completely fine by me, because it saved me the hassle of having to do it myself. Those other test subjects...they're like wild animals," he scoffed with disgust. "Clumsy, uncoordinated, hopelessly stupid. They're like a bunch of zombies other than the fact that they're not dead. But not you. No, you're something special, Hinata. And I would love for us to continue to work together and-"

Hinata suddenly had her hand wrapped around his throat, pinning him against the wall. Her lavender eyes were dark with murderous intent, and she tightened her grip. "Continue to work together? Is that what you're calling it?"

He grinned, seemingly unfazed. "I could make you so much better," he rasped out, his eyes wide with excitement. "You could be unstoppable. You could-" He was cut off again as Hinata slammed her palm into his chest.

"Or I could just kill you," she said softly, letting him collapse to the ground. "You're not the only one who has been waiting for this. I just can't decide if I should make it quick...or draw it out for just a bit longer."

 **I literally just stared at the screen for a good fifteen minutes debating on whether or not I actually wanted to post it. But in the end, I decided that I was content enough with how it was. Also, I was much too lazy to re-edit it. Anyway, the next chapter will be more exciting, and I'm finally almost done with this godforsaken story.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Yay, I was finally able to finish this chapter (about freaking time), so now I can feel some sense of accomplishment in my otherwise unproductive day. I would like to mention that I think I suck at writing fight scenes, so yeah... Also, it's been awhile since I've watched the anime (because I was too lazy to read the manga) so I may have made a mistake or inconsistency with certain aspects (like Sasuke's Rinnegan). So if you notice anything that I screwed up, please feel free to let me know so that I know for future reference. On that note, please read and review.  
**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 19_

Hinata gazed at the man as he lay on the ground, contemplating on what she would do next. Should she just end it in a single strike? Or perhaps she should drag it out for a little while. She had lost two weeks of her life because of him, so letting him die quickly did not sound as satisfying. However, her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a low chuckle.

"Not bad...not bad at all," Kusanagi remarked, pulling himself up. "I can tell that you held back."

"So you can still move," Hinata mused, a flicker of a smile appearing on her lips. "That's good. It will make things a bit more interesting for me. Reiko wasn't much of a challenge, so you'll have to make up for it."

"Reiko was much too arrogant about her abilities. That over confidence was her downfall in the end. She thought that she was untouchable. But you proved her wrong," he said gleefully. "My methods may have been unorthodox, but the results speak for themselves."

Hinata's lilac eyes darkened a shade. "Unorthodox, huh. Is that what you're calling it? Tell me; how many people have you experimented on?"

Kusanagi shrugged nonchalantly. "I've had dozens of subjects, but you, Hinata, have surpassed all of them. You see, I was never a particularly skilled shinobi growing up. I was on the weaker side, slower than average, and my chakra levels were dismal."

"So you concocted that drug to enhance your skills. Was it worth it?" Hinata stared at him with any icy expression, blue chakra beginning to radiate from her body.

"Oh, it was well worth it. At first, I wasn't so sure, to be honest. My subjects just kept...dying. Seizures. Too much chakra for their bodies to handle. More than a few smashed their own heads in, which was disappointing." A grin stretched across his face. "And then you came along. Well, it wasn't completely by accident, as I'm sure you figured out. I did my research and found a perfect Hyuga specimen to try my drug on. And it worked beautifully."

"Not exactly," she murmured, the chakra growing more intense. "I don't think you realize what you did to me. What you took away from me."

That smug smile never left his face. "I took away your weakness. You should be thanking me."

Hinata's chakra turned a darker shade of blue. Her rage was increasing but her face remained calm. "Oh, I'll thank you for everything that you've done. It's the least I can do." With that, her palm thrust forward against his chest again, this time not holding back. This time, however, she hit something hard and solid, and she noticed how he didn't even flinch. If anything his smirk grew wider. Her eyes narrowed as her Byakugan activated and she retreated a few steps back. "Now what do we have here?" There was a subtle excitement in her voice.

"I wasn't completely honest with you, I'm afraid," Kusanagi remarked with a sigh as he pulled off his white lab coat and tossed it aside. "I told you that you were the only successful test subject, but that wasn't entirely true."

Hinata watched as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, exposing his arms. The majority of visible skin consisted of scar tissue from a variety of injuries. There were old lacerations, punctures, and burn marks covering his arms.

"I tested the drug on myself," he explained, looking down at scarred skin. "That's how serious I was about perfecting it."

"Yet you still found the need to drag others into it," Hinata pointed out. She knew that the rest of his body was probably just as damaged, though he didn't seem to be in any sort of pain.

Kusanagi tugged his shirt off, confirming her suspicions. However, rather than ordinary scar tissue on his chest, the area was completely covered in an array of lesions that resembled stones. That would explain why her last attack had no effect on him. Whatever it was, it served as a sort of protective armor.

"This was one of the side effects that I experienced," he explained, running his fingers over his chest. "At first, I was a bit distraught, but I soon realized just how useful it could be. And those scars on me are a symbol of what I managed to achieve. Each time I inflicted pain on to myself, I refused to use any sort of medical techniques or healing jutsus. Instead of letting them heal, I simply reopened them over and over again. It hurt like hell, of course, but it was well with the pain."

"And just when I thought you couldn't get any crazier. You proved me wrong," Hinata told him with a faint smile.

He laughed, running a hand through his brown hair. "I suppose you could say that. But even with the damage done to my body, I was able to manifest my abilities like never before. Those tunnels all throughout this place, for instance. I created all of them. I can open and close them as I please, and I can rearrange them as well. I know that your friends are looking for you, but they won't be able to reach you." As he said this, the tunnel that Hinata had used to enter the area closed up. With no other openings, she was sealed in the large area with him. "You don't seem to bothered by it," he remarked with amusement.

"I'm not. I don't want anyone to interfere." Hinata's body continued to radiate with the churning blue chakra.

"Keep in mind that if you kill me, you'll be trapped in here with no way out," he informed her.

Hinata got into her fighting stance, her eyes locked on his. "I'll worry about that when the time comes. But for now...well, I guess you can find out for yourself."

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto scowled, running his hand over a solid wall. "What the hell... This was the way Hinata and my clone went, but the tunnel is gone."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not just getting it confused with another area? There's obviously no path there. Not only that, but you said yourself that you didn't know exactly where it was because of how dark it is. So which is it?"

"Damn it," Naruto growled, looking at the wall in disbelief. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm almost positive that this is the way. I just don't understand what the hell is going on."

"If that's the case, this guy can apparently open and close the tunnels at will. That would explain why there were so many. He most likely wanted us to get lost and become confused."

Naruto balled up his fist, a fiery orange chakra covering it as he prepared to punch the wall. However, before he could, he heard Sasuke clear his throat. Annoyed, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. "What?" He demanded.

"I don't recommend that," Sasuke replied stoically. "If you go all out, this whole place could collapse. Even destroying a single wall could cause it to go down."

Naruto's blue eyes widened at the realization. "Shit," he hissed, lowering his fist. He knew that he and Sasuke would probably be able to escape unharmed by blasting away the ceiling if it started to collapse. Hinata, however, was a different story. Depending on where she was, she might not have an escape route, especially if that bastard had sealed them all off. She would most likely die before Naruto could get to her, assuming that was how the scenario played out. "So what the hell should we do?"

"Look for an alternative route," Sasuke told him.

"Assuming there is one," the blond retorted flatly. "This pisses me off. Wait, what about your Rinnegan? Do you think that will work?"

"I'm pretty sure that we're not traveling to another dimension in order to reach them," Sasuke replied. "And even if I did use that technique to transport us, I don't decide on where exactly we'll wind up. And I think we both know that if we use our full strength, we'll only cause more damage to this place. Our best option is to find a different method."

Naruto huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "This sucks. That bastard really wanted to make sure that we couldn't intervene. When I get my hands on him, I swear..."

The Uchiha sighed. "Well, we're not going to make any progress by just standing here."

"What about her?" Naruto asked, nodding towards the unconscious girl on his friend's shoulder. "Does she know where to find them?"

Sasuke shook his head. "She doesn't, actually. I know this for a fact because I trapped her in a genjutsu and she almost had a nervous breakdown. But she might be able to tell us how we can navigate our way through this place. Who's to say that Kusanagi altered every single path in this place? She might know of a way." He roughly set Kurome down, leaning her against the wall, and gave her cheek a light slap. "Hey. Wake up."

"WAKE THE HELL UP!" Naruto bellowed, his voice echoing loudly.

Sasuke winced, scowling at the blond ninja. "Not so loud, you idiot. We're not trying to wake the dead."

"Well, it worked," Naruto pointed out, watching as Kurome began to stir.

The young woman groaned in complaint, rubbing her head. "What's...going on...?" She adjusted her glasses, which had somehow stayed on her face, and looked up at the two males in confusion. As soon her eyes focused on Sasuke, her face went pale and she tried to back up into the wall even further, her eyes wide with fear. "S-stay away from me! I-I already told you that I d-don't know where he is!"

"Calm down," Sasuke replied, his expression emotionless. "I know that. But you can still be of some use."

Kurome frowned, staring at him with distrust. "What are you insinuating?"

"I understand that you don't know where to find him" Sasuke replied. "But you know about his ability to create and close the tunnels. Am I correct?"

With her vision distorted through the cracked lens, Kurome discarded her glasses, avoiding his gaze. "Yes... Of course I know about it. But that doesn't mean I know exactly where to find him or how to get to him. If he closed off the tunnels, there's nothing that you can do about it. Digging will be impossible, and if you try to force your way through, you'll only cause destruction."

"How can we get to him?" Naruto demanded. With his Sage Mode activated, he could sense both Kusanagi and Hinata, so locating their whereabouts wouldn't be too much of a challenge. Getting to them, however, would be a completely different matter.

"You can't," she remarked carelessly, trying to smooth her tousled hair. "There's no way to open up the paths that he's closed, and there are no alternative methods for you to reach him. Until he opens them again, I'm afraid you're out of luck." She couldn't hide that smug smile on her lips, which did not go unnoticed by the jinchuriki.

With his irises flashing red, Naruto reached down and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, causing her to shriek as he dragged her up off the floor. He pinned the trembling woman against the wall, a threatening expression on his face. "Stop messing with us," he snapped, his crimson eyes burning with fury. "There has to be a way to reach them, and you're going to tell us how."

"I-I already told y-you that there i-isn't," she stammered fearfully.

"You're lying," Naruto snarled, his voice a bit deeper and more gruff as his anger began to take over. "I'll give you one last chance to tell me; how can we get to Hinata?" His grip on her tightened, his body beginning to radiate chakra.

"O-okay! I'll sh-show you!" Kurome was visibly terrified. "There i-is one way that you might be able to reach her. But I can't guarantee that you'll wind up in the exact same area as them."

He smirked. "I'll worry about that later. For now-" He stopped mid-sentence at the sound of a deep rumbling, feeling a brief shaking under his feet as the floor seemed to vibrate. "What the hell was that?"

"Oh, it sounds like they're finally going to settle things," Kurome mused. "Are you sure that you even want to waste your time trying to get to them?"

"Just hurry up and show us the way," Naruto snapped, yanking her away from the wall. "If you try to run away, you won't make it very far. You're just going to piss me off even more."

She swallowed hard, nodding. By now, she was petrified of the two males before her, and she wasn't willing to be on the receiving end of their rage. Especially the blond. "Th-this way," she instructed, leading them back in the direction from where they had just come from. "We have to backtrack a bit," she quickly added when she noticed their suspicious frowns.

"Is there a passageway that you're taking us to?" Sasuke questioned.

Kurome nodded without looking back. "Y-yes."

"Really?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Why the hell wouldn't he seal that one off too? If you're leading us into a trap-"

"I'm not," she abruptly cut him off, still refusing to turn around and meet his searing gaze. "I-it's true that Kusanagi can open and close paths at will throughout this place. B-but it only works on tunnels that he creates. He can't alter them or seal them off if they already exist. There's a reason why he chose this particular area in the mountains. There is only a single natural path throughout this entire part, and it's on a lower level than where we are now. It's well hidden, which is probably why neither of you stumbled across it. He created the random, winding tunnels in order to confuse you, but he also needed a way to get to the test subjects without compromising the location of the real the path."

"And we'll be able to reach Hinata if we follow that path?" Naruto inquired, watching her carefully in case she attempted to run.

She shrugged. "I can't guarantee it, but it's probably your only option if you don't wish to destroy the whole place. Because if those two are where I think they might be, neither of them are making it out alive if it collapses."

"It won't come to that," Sasuke spoke up, his Sharingan activated.

"You're both wasting your time, you know," Kurome pointed out. "Even if you do find them, what do you think is going to happen? Do you honestly think that Hinata will be able to take him down?"

"Yeah, I do think so," Naruto shot back, following her down a winding trail.

She laughed dryly. "You have no idea just what he's capable of, do you? There are only two ways that this is going to end," she said, finally whirling around to face them both.

"And what are those options exactly?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Either she allows him to continue his research by once again becoming his test subject...or she dies." She barely had the words out of her mouth before Naruto brutally grabbed the front of her shirt once more, causing her face to pale.

"Just hurry up and show us where the path is," he said in an eerily calm voice that sent chills down her spine. "I'm almost out of patience, and you don't want to see what happens when it runs out..."

xxxXXXxxx

"Hinata, I don't wish to kill you. After all, you won't be of much use to me if you're dead." Kusanagi stood several feet away from her, a few fragments falling from his chest from where she had struck him. Although it did not inflict serious damage, it had been enough to crack the hard protection on his upper body. "However, I can't allow you to kill me either. So if you're really that determined not to go back with me, I won't hesitate to put you down for good."

Hinata suddenly appeared in front of him, his blue chakra changing to a deep purple. "Then try." Her palm slammed into him again, sending him hurtling back until his body smashed into a wall. She watched for a moment as he shakily got to his feet, spitting blood from his mouth as he chuckled softly.

"Wow. You never cease to amaze me," he remarked jovially. "Are you sure you really want to waste everything that I've given you?" The cracked portion of his chest began to mend itself, erasing all traces of the damage she had inflicted. "You're strong, but your Gentle Fist, as powerful as it is, won't be enough to stop me. My heart, in particular, is heavily guarded, so you might need to try a different tactic.

Hinata had already attempted to cut off his chakra points, realizing that his toughened skin and muscles made it far more difficult. She remained undeterred, however, instead contemplating her next move. However, before she could, she felt something shift beneath her and quickly jumped out of the way. A hole appeared in the ground where had been standing, ready to swallow her up into its dark abyss.

"Obviously I can make tunnels in the ground as well, not just walls," Kusanagi told her with a bit of arrogance. "So you might want to watch your step."

The indigo-haired girl simply charged forward, her Byakugan activated as she locked onto him. She swiftly evaded the ground crumbling below her, avoiding each of the pits that Kusanagi attempted to create as she closed in on him.

She ignored his taunts, ready to strike him again as she reached him. He caught her wrist as she thrust her palm towards him, but she kicked his feet out from under him. As he fell, she prepared to strike him again, only for him to suddenly sink underground before she could land a hit. He was now nowhere in sight, and she scanned the ground carefully with her Byakugan.

"You can't hide from me," she murmured, concentrating her chakra into her hand and driving it against the ground. There was a brief vibration as the shock wave traveled through the hard ground. She knew that he had created a tunnel to hide in, and the impact had caused it to cave in. Her eyes locked on to a specific spot several feet away, and she slammed her open palm into him as soon as he emerged.

Kusanagi was thrown back against the wall from the impact, causing a fissure behind him. For the first time, his calm demeanor faltered as he glowered at the kunoichi. "Impressive," he muttered, shakily rising to his feet once more. "You're good, perhaps better than I anticipated. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest."

"I'm not stupid and I can see you no matter where you try to hide," Hinata replied stoically, walking towards him as the purple chakra covered her body.

"You're right," he admitted with a laugh. "I was relying on my body too much and assumed that you wouldn't be able to cause much damage. But it seems that you proved me wrong. I can't overtake you in my current state. So it looks like it's time for Plan B." He pulled a syringe from his pants pocket, removing the cap and discarding it onto the floor. "I hope you enjoyed the warm-up. Because play time is over." The man stuck the needle into the side of his neck, releasing its contents into his body.

Hinata watched as he yelled in pain, his hand clutching the area in which he had injected the drug. His face was twisted into a grimace and his body began to radiate with a pale yellow chakra. He panted heavily and grabbed onto the wall for balance.

Hinata took the opportunity to rush towards him, her own chakra rapidly propelling her forward. Several large chunks suddenly separated from the wall where Kusanagi stood, floating in mid air before shooting directly at the girl.

Hinata easily dodged the smaller bits, while using her Air Palm and Gentle Fist to shatter the bigger pieces. She began to close in on him once more, flipping directly over another sizable chunk taken from the wall. Before she reached him, however, she quickly jumped up onto the wall right before the ground beneath her gave away. Unlike the previous ones, this pit was much larger in diameter, spreading over several feet.

"Good reflexes," Kusanagi praised her, still backed against the wall while looking up at her. By forming the crater, he had made it impossible for Hinata to approach him head on.

"Do you think that will stop me?" she questioned, standing on the wall as she gazed down at him.

He grinned. "It would serve you well to realize that I control this entire space. The floor. The walls. The ceiling. Everything." He turned and placed both hands on the wall, where cracks began to rapidly appear and make their way up towards the girl.

Hinata simply ran up the wall to avoid the cracks and fissures, before planting herself on the ceiling. "Don't get too cocky," she told him, now standing on the ceiling. "You may control this area, but keep in mind that if you're careless, you'll cause this whole thing to collapse. Let that sink in before you try your next move."

Kusangi laughed. "Ah, you're right about that. One wrong move and I could accidentally cause this area to cave in. Which, of course, I can't have that happen." His veins were more prominent, especially those near his face and neck, while his skin hardened a bit more. "Last chance to come with me willingly."

"You already know my answer," she retorted, her lilac eyes darkening a shade as a small smile graced her lips.

"Then I'll have to do it by force." With that, he sped up the wall, intending to join her on the ceiling. He didn't anticipate Hinata suddenly appearing in front of him before he could make it to the top, her movements too fast for him to track. Even in his current state, she still dominated him in speed, and he felt an excruciating pain in his chest as she drove her Twin Lion Fists into him as hard as she could, effectively knocking him down.

Hinata let herself fall down with him, kicking off the wall to gain momentum and speed as she hurtled towards him. She used her Air Palm to send him crashing down onto the ground with enough force to create another crater. While dirt billowed all around, she landed gracefully on the ground, her eyes never leaving her target, whom remained motionless on the ground. She was going to end this once and for all. His body was too hard for her to inflict serious external damage, but there were other ways of killing him. If she concentrated all of her chakra directly into his head, she could probably use the force to crush his skull. His heart was well protected, but there was no solid covering for his head. Even if his head did have some sort of resistance, she could simply destroy his eyes and reach his brain that way. With murderous intent, she made her way towards the fallen man, dark purple chakra shifting from the rest of her body into her hands. Just as she reached him, however, there was a loud rumbling noise, followed by a shaking sensation.

"I think it's time that we change the playing field," Kusanagi said with a laugh as the entire ground began to crumble away beneath him.

Hinata attempted to jump back onto the wall once more, to keep from falling through. She wasn't quick enough to reach it in time as the ground collapsed, sending her plummeting down to a lower level. This particular area was larger in terms of how far it stretched across in comparison to where they had just fallen from. The distance between the ground and where the ceiling would've been, had it not been destroyed, was staggering. There was about two feet of water at the bottom, which Hinata stood atop of as soon as she landed on its surface. Kusangi had landed less gracefully, his pants and body soaked, though he seemed unfazed by it. If anything, he looked more excited than ever.

"One way or another, you're coming back with me," he told her, a manic grin on his face.

Hinata prepared for her next attack, her Byakugan directed at him as her body surged with chakra. "We'll see about that."

 **Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I need to use cheap tricks to get readers to come back. Also, it was getting long as fuck and I didn't want to cram it all into one chapter. I hope the fight scenes weren't too ridiculous, especially since I have to continue it in the following chapter. Anyway, as I said earlier, if I made a mistake or there's an inconsistency, let me know so that I don't screw up and do it again. Though at this point, I'll probably just roll with my mistake and get on with my life. The next chapter will hopefully be out in about two weeks, but it could be a little longer. Thank you for your patience, and I promise that there are only a few chapters left. Feel free to review.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Here is the next chapter, and I will once again apologize for the fight scene if you think that it came out lousy. I already told you that I'm not good at these things! Anyway, please read and review.  
**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 20_

Hinata prepared to attack, her body cloaked in chakra as she set her sights on her target. Kusanagi simply stood there, a lazy smile on his face as he waited for her to make her move. Yet before she charged forward, her Byakugan noticed the scaly lesions on the man's skin. They appeared to be growing, sticking out of him like shards of glass. They protruded from his chest and arms, and from there, they pulled themselves completely from his flesh. Hinata's eyes widened slightly as the crystal-like objects floated around him, each of them turning so that they pointed in her direction.

"Just because I'm a nice guy, I'll make you the offer one final time," Kusangi stated, that smug expression plastered to his face. "If you don't want to get skewered, I suggest-"

Hinata didn't wait for him to finish, instead propelling herself forward with a burst of chakra. She anticipated the flurry of shards that began to hurtle towards her, mentally marking each one. The girl dodged several of them, using her Air Palm to deflect and destroy others. She avoided making contact with them barehanded, knowing that the sharp bits would most likely pierce completely through her palm.

Kusanagi raised his arm to block the kick she'd delivered, barely making it in time as she suddenly closed the gap between them. He was unable to block her second strike, slamming back against the wall once more. Despite the cracks that appeared behind him, he didn't appear to be injured. He wasn't impenetrable, but he was definitely more resilient than before. "You can't win, Hinata. I don't understand for the life of me as to why you're trying. Not only that, but I've been holding back a bit, as I wanted to avoid seriously damaging you. But if you leave me no choice, then I'll do what I have to in order to bring you back with me." He suddenly jerked forward, another set of stone-like protrusions jutting from his body. Instead of shooting them from his skin like solid projectiles, the bits broke down sprayed out in a powder-like substance.

Hinata winced and clenched her eyes shut as she was momentarily blinded, attempting to block it with her arm. She felt something heavy smash into her side, taking her breath away as she was sent back hundreds of feet. Her back collided with the wall, coughing up a mouthful of blood from the force. She fell forward, landing on her knees atop the surface of the water. Her hand clutched her bruising side, and she knew that she had cracked a few ribs and broken at least one. He appeared before her in a matter of seconds, and she narrowly ducked away from his next attack. Her palm struck the center of his stomach, which wasn't as protective as his chest, but still too solid for her to inflict any serious damage. She grabbed his wrist when he attempted to punch her, countering with her own as she hit him directly in the throat. He coughed, stumbling backwards as she temporarily stunned him. Concentrating a large amount of chakra in her hand, she once again thrust her palm against his chest, now managing to crack that area once more. Her pained side slowed her movements, and she tasted the blood in her mouth as she prepared for a second attack. Before she could, however, she suddenly felt his hand wrap around her throat, squeezing it tightly as he lifted her up.

"You're wasting your time," Kusangi told her, a crazed smile on his face. "If I really wanted to, I could snap your neck like a twig and-!" He yelled as a burst of purple chakra shot into him, forcing him to let go of her. He was unable to regain his balance as her Air Palm made contact with his face, shooting him back and into the water.

Breathing heavily, Hinata made her way towards him, still holding her aching side. She could feel one of her ribs poking her painfully, confirming her suspicions that she had broken at least one of them. It wasn't over yet, and she knew it. As she closed in on him again, she saw him heaving himself up, raising his head to meet her gaze. Blood gushed from his nose and ran down his face, dripping onto his chest and into the water.

"I have to say," he began, his voice sounding raspy, "you were my greatest subject, Hinata. It's a shame that I have to put you down, but there will be others. I can keep experimenting on as many people as I want until I finally create the perfect specimen. One that is a bit more obedient than yourself." He was met with another Air Palm, barely avoiding it as it formed a crater in the wall behind him.

"No," Hinata told him in a calm voice, her body surrounded with churning purple chakra as her Byakugan locked onto him again. "You're going to die here. I'll make sure of that."

xxxXXXxxx

"How much longer?" Naruto asked impatiently as Kurome led him and Sasuke down the tunnel. Sasuke held a flame in his hand to light the way, though he kept quiet as his blond friend continued to complain.

"As long as it takes to get there," Kurome answered him, not hiding the irritation in her voice. "And as I told you, there's no guarantee that you'll wind up exactly where they are. It might be impossible for you to get to her if there's a wall blocking the way. You already know that you could cause the place to collapse if you try to break it down."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "And I said that I'll worry about that part later." With his Sage Mode activated, he knew that they were getting closer. Part of him wanted to just hurry on ahead, but Sasuke had warned him of impending traps. The risk of setting off explosives could not only injure them, but also cause the tunnel to cave in. There was another loud rumbling noise that seemed to vibrate through the walls. It was as if the entire mountain was shaking, though it only felt that way due to their proximity of it. Naruto could feel Hinata's chakra growing stronger, which relieved him slightly. If nothing else, she was still alive and knowing that simple fact calmed him a bit.

Kurome suddenly whirled around and a smoke bomb exploded in front of Naruto and Sasuke. Both males jumped back, avoiding the blinding puff of thick smoke that billowed before them, and Kurome took the opportunity to sprint away.

"Hey!" Naruto charged after her, following her deeper into the tunnel that continued to rumble around them.

"Stop!" Sasuke called, in close pursuit of her as well.

Kurome ran as fast as she could, breathing heavily as she tried to escape from the two ninjas. The blond was quickly catching up to her, and she knew that it was only a matter of seconds until he'd caught up. She tossed another bomb behind her, causing another cloud of smoke to erupt in front of Naruto and Sasuke. She couldn't see anything as she sprinted down the pitch-black tunnel, but she continued on regardless. Kusanagi would be furious if he found out that she had shown them the way, but what other choice had she been given? Her thoughts were interrupted as she sensed Naruto directly behind her, only inches from her as he reached out to grab her.

Naruto's fingers just barely brushed against her flowing hair before Kurome abruptly plummeted down through a pit that she had not noticed. Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's black jacket to keep him from joining her, and they heard the young woman scream as she descended downward. The scream was cut off moments later with a sickening thud, and Sasuke held a flame over the opening of the pit. He and Naruto could see her sprawled on her back, her neck bent at an awkward angle as blood pooled around her broken body. Her eyes stared vacantly up at them, and they could easily tell that she was dead.

"I should've grabbed her, but I didn't see her falling until it was too late," Naruto muttered, looking down at her corpse.

Sasuke shrugged carelessly. "She was warned not to run away from us. It's her own fault that she's dead."

"Either way, I don't think we need her to show us the way anymore. I can tell that we're getting close," Naruto told him. "Let's hurry."

xxxXXXxxx

Hinata and Kusangi stood at opposite ends of the cavern, their breathing heavy as they stared each other down. The indigo-haired girl waited for him to make the first move, anticipating his attack as he lunged forward. She dodged the punch he threw, grabbing his arm and jerking it violently until she heard a crack. He yelled in pain, using his other arm to slam into her injured ribs a second time. Up until now, Hinata had been able to tolerate the pain, but she couldn't ignore the agony as his fist made contact with her bruised side. She cried out, wincing as she grabbed onto the area once more.

"It's over, Hinata," he remarked with a snicker, intending to strike her again. Before he could, however, she grabbed onto him, her hands on either side of his head as she sent a powerful burst of chakra directly into his skull. For the first time, he screamed in agony as a burning pain shot through his head. His body reacted by sending another flurry of rock-like shards as he let out a wave of chakra himself.

Hinata managed to deflect nearly all of the protrusions, though one had skimmed past her cheek, leaving a thin ribbon of blood to trickle down. He was still momentarily distracted so she took this opportunity to unleash an attack of her own. "Eight Trigrams 64 Palms!"

Kusangi found himself pummeled by a barrage of strikes that were too fast for him to follow. No amount of blocking lessened the blows, and he could feel the hard covering on his chest beginning to crack. He slammed against the wall from the final hit, but by then, the cracks were beginning to close up. No matter how powerful her attacks were, his body continued to regenerate. "You can't beat me, Hinata," he told her, yellow chakra churning around his body. "It's pathetic that you think that you can. You're only this way because of me. I wouldn't say that you were weak before I got my hands on you, but the improvement speaks for itself. Now if only I could train you to obey me..."

Hinata's eyes darkened from the comment. "Train?" she repeated, her anger reaching new levels. "Like I'm some sort of animal?" Her voice was soft, but held a threatening edge as she gazed at him with her Byakugan.

"More or less," he replied, a smug smirk on his face. "But I think we've passed that point. Perhaps my next subject will prove to be different."

They exchanged a series of kicks and punches, dodging and avoiding each other's attacks. Water splashed all around them as bits and pieces of the wall hurtled towards Hinata as Kusanagi attempted to finish her off. He sent two particularly large pieces directly at her, and although she managed to destroy them both, a large chunk struck her shoulder. The man proceeded to grab hold of her arm and yanked violently. Hinata yelled as she felt her arm dislocate from her shoulder, and she drove her open palm into his chest hard enough to send him crashing into the water again. Grimacing, the young woman took a moment to pop her arm back in place, feeling a painful throb that it had left in its wake. Her chakra was diminishing, and she knew that she had to finish this once and for all. While he shakily rose to his feet, his entire body drenched, Hinata concentrated every last ounce of her chakra into her right hand as she charged forward as fast as her body would allow. By the time Kusangi noticed her in front of him, she had already unleashed the full blast of chakra directly into his chest, causing the stone-like armor to shatter completely as he flew back. His body crashed against the wall hard enough for several fragments to fall away and drop into the water along with him.

Hinata waited a few moments, panting heavily as her hand clutched onto her side. With her chakra almost completely gone, she could no longer stand on the water's surface. She waded towards a large, flat rock located in the middle of cavern, expecting Kusanagi to emerge. He didn't. Exhausted, Hinata climbed onto the rock, her legs too shaky to allow her to stand. Her lavender eyes reverted to their normal, pale shade and she let a tiny smile appear on her lips. She had done it. She had killed Kusanagi once and for all. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she continued to try to catch her breath. She held onto her bruised side, her vision becoming fuzzy. Hinata blinked a few times, but everything continued to appear hazy. She felt as if everything was spinning, stuck in a perpetual vertigo. Despite the fact that she was breathing heavily, she could not hear herself. In fact, she couldn't hear anything as she sat on the sizable rock, instead surrounded by absolute silence. Even with the cave rumbling all around her, unstable from the damage that had been inflicted during the fight, she was not aware of it. Cracks and fissures appeared along all of the walls, going all the way to the ceiling in the floor above her. Chunks of rock and stone hurtled down, crashing into the water.

Weakly, Hinata attempted to stand up, but her legs buckled beneath her, making her unable to move from her spot. Her eyesight remained blurry as the room continued spin around her, deaf to the sound of the cavern collapsing in on itself. "Naruto...kun..." she whispered, deaf to her own words as they left her lips. She had promised that she would return to him, yet she couldn't find the strength to get up. By now, she could vaguely tell that the surrounding area was crumbling, feeling a small splash of water against her body. She did not, however, notice Kusanagi rising from the water behind her.

The man trudged towards the indigo-haired girl, feeling his heart slowing down even as she approached her. The place was collapsing, and although he knew that there was no way for her to escape, he wanted the satisfaction of killing her himself. A single rock shard protruded from his forearm, growing much longer than any of the others that he'd had. Blood gushed from his nose and mouth, which was twisted into a manic grin. He pulled the growth from his flesh, closing the distance between himself and Hinata. By now, he was only a few feet away, and she was unaware of his presence. With both her vision and hearing impaired, not to mention the exhaustion and dizziness, Hinata was completely vulnerable as he raised his arm to thrust the shard through her back. It was his intention to drive it completely through her so that it was pierce through her chest as well. Just as he was about to, he heard a deafening crash, and looked up just in time to see a flash of blood red eyes.

"RASENGAN!"

Kusanagi barely had time to react as a powerful sphere of chakra was driven into his face point-blank. The force behind was powerful enough to destroy most of his head, sending him hurtling back against the wall one last time. Most of his bones shattered upon impact, and his mangled corpse dropped into the water, blood clouding around him.

"Hinata!" With the cavern continuing to crumble all around them, Naruto quickly gathered an incapacitated Hinata into his arms and rushed over to where Sasuke was waiting for them. While the jinchuriki had finished off Kusanagi, Sasuke had blasted one of the walls to create an exit for them. Although they were still deep underground, they were at least able to escape from the collapsing cave. Everyone had been evacuated, and with the extensive damage done to the cavern, there was no longer any reason for them to hold back. Now in his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Naruto hurried up to the higher level to reach the wall that Sasuke had blown a hole through, protecting Hinata and himself from falling debris. Once they had passed through the wall, he and Sasuke continued to destroy one wall after another to escape from the collapsing cave.

Hinata numbly looked up, and although her vision was still hazy, the churning orange chakra was unmistakable. "Naruto-kun..." she murmured softly, now able to hear once more. Moments later, she felt fresh air against her skin, signalling that they had escaped from the collapse. Several of Naruto's clones were waiting for them, watching over the group of tied up, unconscious captives.

Naruto's cloak of chakra dissipated, and he focused his attention on the girl in his arms. "Hinata, are you okay?" he questioned with worry, dropping to his knees. He carefully set her down on the ground, his finger brushing away the thin ribbon of blood on her face. He could see bruises on her skin, but she didn't appear to have any life-threatening injuries.

Though exhausted, Hinata smiled up at him with contentment. "I'm fine," she told him, only to wince a moment later when his hand lightly pressed against her side.

Concerned, Naruto gently pushed her down so that she was on her back, lifting up her black shirt to take a look. He could see a deep purple bruise covering most of her left side, and he could tell that she had received some damage to her ribs. She would definitely need medical attention, but at least she was in no danger of dying at that moment. With a sigh of relief, he grabbed her and held her against his chest, inhaling the sweet aroma of her indigo hair.

"I-is he...dead...?" Hinata questioned, the last of her vertigo wearing off. She was no longer disoriented, now feeling the extent of the injuries that she had sustained from the fight.

Naruto nodded. "He is. He'll never be able to hurt you, or anyone else again," he replied with a grin, caressing her cheek with his fingers.

Hinata gazed into his bright blue eyes, her lavender ones brimming with tears. "I'm sorry about what I did... B-but I just had to-"

"It's okay," the blond calmly interjected. "I understand why you did it. I'm just glad that you're safe."

Sasuke cleared his throat to get the couple's attention. "I don't mean to interrupt your moment, but I hope you weren't planning on trying to sneak back into the village now that we have all these people to transport."

Naruto smirked. "No, I wasn't planning on that, actually. I just wanted to be able to sneak out of the village so that no one could stop us from going on that mission. Now that it's over, I already know that I'm going to have to explain myself to Kakashi-sensei, but I don't mind. My clones can bring these people back to Konoha with us, and then he can deal with sending them all home once they've been treated."

A few hours had passed since they had left, but it was still dark out, and dawn wouldn't be approaching for at least another two hours. They allowed themselves to rest for a little while before heading back to the village, trying to think of the best way to explain what happened to Kakashi. It would be interesting, if nothing else.

xxxXXXxxx

"I still can't believe that you went against my orders," Kakashi mumbled, running a hand through his silver hair. "Then again, I suppose that I shouldn't be, considering who I'm dealing with. What were you thinking?"

Once Naruto had brought Hinata to the hospital, his clones bringing along the former prisoners to be examined as well, he and Sasuke had gone to see Kakashi. Tsunade had given them both an earful, especially Naruto, for being dumb enough to allow Hinata to take part in such a dangerous mission. Hinata had sustained a broken rib, while two others were cracked. Aside from a few cuts and bruises, she had no further injuries, but the Sannin had insisted that Hinata spend the next day or so in the hospital to monitor her. Due to the circumstances, Hinata would not be facing any sort of punishment, including what had happened at the facility. From what Kakashi could see, her only way out had been by force, and with the trauma that she had endured, it would be unfair to discipline her for her actions. She had been punished enough already, in his opinion.

"You know exactly what I was thinking," Naruto countered, his voice firm. "I couldn't just sit there and wait around while that guy was still out there."

"Which was why I dispatched the Anbu to locate his whereabouts," Kakashi explained to him. "If you had known where he was, you should've told me and- "

Naruto cut him off. "We didn't know where he was, but Hinata was able to sense his chakra, so we followed it until we found out where he was hiding."

"We knew that you wouldn't allow Hinata to help track him down, so we did it against your orders," Sasuke added. "There was no other way."

Kakashi looked worn out and he shook his head. "As irresponsible as your actions were...you did rescue those hostages. And according to you, all four of Hinata's captors have been eliminated. Should I even bother asking?"

"It's better if you don't," the Uchiha replied, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Naruto smiled. "All that matters is that Hinata is safe and those guys can't hurt anyone else."

Kakashi simply stared at his reckless former student, silently making his disapproval noticeable. Nevertheless, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess we can deem the situation resolved. You're positive that all four of them are dead?"

Sasuke nodded. "We confirmed each one."

"Good. We're working on figuring out where each of the prisoners came from so that we can escort them home once Tsunade releases them from her care," he told them.

"Speaking of which, Baa-chan wants Hinata to stay in the hospital for now, so if you don't mind, I'm going to go see her," Naruto informed him with a grin. "So, are we all set?"

The Hokage waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, you're both free to go."

xxxXXXxxx

"Sakura, is it okay if I go in and see Hinata?" Naruto inquired once he had arrived at the hospital. Shortly after returning, Naruto had sent Sasuke to his apartment to tell Sakura what had happened. The two clones that Naruto and Hinata had summoned had both remained intact during their absence, dispelling soon after.

"I suppose," Sakura responded. "I already told you how much of an idiot you are, right?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Several times, actually."

"Well, just for good measure, you're an idiot," she replied with a smirk. "But...I understand why you did it. Hinata's safe because of you, so I guess the least I can do is allow you to see her."

Hinata was sitting upright in her bed when Naruto walked into the hospital room, her lavender eyes meeting his gaze. Her side throbbed dully, the pain kept under control from the medicine that Tsunade had given her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Naruto asked as he approached her bed, sitting by her side.

"I'm fine," she told him with a reassuring smile. "Tsunade-sama said that I'll make a full recovery. I just need to take it easy for a few weeks."

The blond grinned. "You're tough, so you'll get better in no time. It's too bad that I couldn't watch you fight, but I can tell that it was awesome! I mean, the whole place was rumbling and it was caving in, and-"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata gently interjected. "It's probably better that you didn't. Whenever I was around them...I felt like a completely different person. And I don't want you to ever meet that person. But now that they're gone...I don't think I have to worry about becoming like that again."

"In case you've forgotten, I have a fox demon sealed inside my body. But you were able to look past that, so I'll be able to deal with whatever it is that you've gone through. We'll get through it together," he told her, reaching up to brush his fingers against the small nick on her cheek. "I'll stay with you until you're discharged."

The indigo-haired girl shook her head. "You should go home and get some rest, Naruto-kun. I'll be okay."

"No." Naruto leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He then took hold of her hand and lightly pressed his forehead against hers. 'I'm not leaving you. Not again."

 **Well, I hope that you liked this chapter. On one hand, I wanted Hinata to basically take care of the fight by herself, but I also wanted Naruto to hit that fucker in the face with his Rasengan. So I did both (that bastard would've died anyway but Naruto sped up the process a wee bit...)! If I really wanted to, I suppose that I could end the story here, but I think adding one more chapter will be a better way to do it. Please review and I will try to have the last chapter posted in about two weeks.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Alright, here is the final chapter of this story, which has slowly but surely been sucking my soul out. Don't get me wrong; I didn't dislike writing it, but I made it longer than originally planned so I just wanted to finish it. Anyway, hopefully it doesn't seem stupid and ends the story well enough.**

 **Warning: Chapter contains lemons**

 ** _Distorted Minds_**

 _Chapter 21_

"Baa-chan, is it time for Hinata to get discharged yet?" Naruto asked hopefully, for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. "You said that she could go home if she spent the rest of the night here and-"

Tsunade glared at him, causing the jinchuriki to immediately shut up mid-sentence. "Yes, Naruto, she will be released soon," she told him in an eerily calm voice that unsettled Naruto. "But in the meantime I need you to be patient and wait. You're lucky that she didn't suffer any serious, permanent damage, and the fact that Hiashi left the village last night for clan business. He doesn't know that you were stupid enough to take his daughter on an extremely dangerous mission that could've gotten her killed." She leaned closer, an expression on her face that scared the blond male. "So consider yourself very very lucky."

Naruto smiling sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Uh, yeah... Maybe we should keep this a secret from him..."

"Idiot." Tsunade left him alone outside Hinata's hospital room to check up on the injured kunoichi one last time before discharging her.

Not wanting to face the Sannin's wrath, Naruto kept quiet as he patiently waited. After fifteen minutes, Tsunade emerged once more and nodded at him to indicate that he could go in. Naruto excitedly entered the hospital room to see Hinata dressed in an outfit that Sakura had let her borrow, since the clothes she'd been wearing upon her arrival had been damaged during the fight. Hinata wore a navy blue skirt that went a bit past her knees, and a light blue blouse that clung to her in the chest area a bit more than she would've liked. Naruto certainly wasn't going to complain as he stared at her for a moment before breaking out into a huge grin. "So, you're finally free to go, Hinata?"

Hinata smiled. "Yes. Tsunade-sama said that everything looks fine, and that I'll make a full recovery. I just have to take it easy for the next few weeks, so it looks like I won't be going on any missions for a little while."

"That's good. I don't want you to get hurt again before you're fully healed." Naruto's smile faded as he dropped his gaze to look at the floor. "It's my fault that you got hurt in the first place and-"

"Naruto-kun," she gently interjected. "It's not your fault, so please don't blame yourself. I made the decision to venture off by myself, and there's nothing that you could've done."

He smirked. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's stubborn. The good thing is that your dad doesn't know about what happened last night, so he won't try to kill me."

Hinata looked at him with confusion. "He doesn't? I thought that he would after the ruckus that was caused when we came back. Especially since we had a large group with us..."

"Apparently he had to leave the village last night on some official business, so he has no clue what really happened. Though, I still wanted to ask for his permission to go out with you," he mused, before his eyes grew wide with horror and he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Crap, I slept with his daughter, and I haven't even asked him if it was okay to date you!"

Hinata's face turned bright red. "N-not so loud,"she squeaked in embarrassment, despite the door being closed.

"I mean...the situation was kind of serious, and we didn't know what was going to happen, and I didn't even think about asking your dad before we went and did that and-" Naruto was rambling now, only quieting down when Hinata placed her hand over his mouth.

"L-let's not mention that part when he gets back," she whispered as she removed her hand. "B-but when he does...I'm sure that he'll give you his permission."

The blond male smirked in a cocky manner. "Well, at this point, I don't think he'll put up much of a fight, especially since he knows that you're safer with me than anyone else," he boasted. "Hey, if your dad's not around, then it would probably be best for you to stay with me until he gets back. I mean, you're still recovering and all, and I don't want to leave you by yourself. So I'll take care of you," he added with a smile.

Hinata's blush deepened, but she nodded in agreement. "O-okay." The time she had spent with Naruto at his apartment had been amazing, so she couldn't help but feel excited about her extended stay.

"Great, let's get going." Naruto took Hinata's hand and the two of them exited the hospital room. Although Tsunade had done a remarkable job healing her injured ribs, Hinata had been advised to take it easy. She walked a bit slower than normal as she felt a dull throbbing in her side, but Naruto had all the patience in the world for her as he slowed his pace. Despite his clumsy nature, he managed to be gentle with his fragile girlfriend, surprising himself.

"Hey, Hinata," Sakura said with a smile as she greeted the couple just as they walked out of the hospital. "How are you feeling?"

Hinata returned the smile. "Much better. Thank you for everything, Sakura. I-I'm sorry that we dragged you into this mess."

Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'll do anything to help my friends."

"Especially Sasuke," Naruto teased.

"Shut up!" Sakura snapped, her face turning red. "I-I did this for Hinata. Not you and Sasuke-kun. You're both idiots by the way."

"Naruto's the dumb one, not me," a familiar voice spoke up from behind her.

The pinkette whirled around to come face to face with Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun. I, uh, didn't know you were here. How long have you been standing there?" she demanded, trying to hide her flustered state.

"Long enough to hear you compare me with that moron," he replied.

"Hey! Who're you calling a moron?" Naruto snapped. "Bastard."

Sasuke smirked. "If you don't know, you're only proving my point."

"Shut up!" Naruto scowled and held Hinata's hand in his. "Anyway, I'm taking Hinata back to my place so she can get some rest." He flashed his trademark grin. "Later, Sasuke. You too, Sakura."

Hinata looked at Sasuke. "Thank you for your help."

He nodded in response, watching as the hot-headed blond gently tugged Hinata along, eager to be alone with her.

"So, Sasuke-kun," Sakura spoke up. "When do you plan on leaving?"

Sasuke thought for a moment. "Well, since everything has been resolved, I'll probably head out in a little while."

Sakura smiled sadly. "I see. Well, uh...take care." She turned to leave, only to feel Sasuke grab onto her wrist. Stunned, she faced him once more, a questioning look on her face.

"I...I don't have to leave just yet," he said, gazing down at the ground.

Sakura fidgeted a bit. "Technically it's my day off. I only came here because I had nothing else going on..."

"Are you hungry at all?" he asked. "I mean...it would be stupid for me not to at least eat something before I leave the village..."

"Y-yeah," she stammered. "That would be great."

Sasuke realized that he was still holding onto her wrist and let go of her, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, let's go."

Sakura nodded and began to walk with him down the street, internally cheering. She didn't notice the faint smile on Sasuke's face as he walked alongside of her. Maybe he didn't have to leave so soon.

xxxXXXxxx

Naruto arrived at his apartment with Hinata, ecstatic that she wasn't leaving just yet. He had lived alone his entire life, so having Hinata with him was the greatest thing he ever could've asked for. She filled the empty void in his life, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Hinata with concern. "I wasn't walking too fast, was I?"

Hinata smiled and shook her head, blushing lightly. "No, not at all. You don't need to worry so much about me. I'm fine."

Naruto smirked. "I'm your boyfriend, so it's my job to worry about you nonstop and be as annoying as possible about it as I can."

Hinata's face turned even redder as he tugged her into his bedroom. She still couldn't believe that she was Naruto's girlfriend.

"Anyway, I'm supposed to let you rest," he added. "Are you in any pain?"

"No, I'm feeling okay, actually," she replied. "Tsunade-sama gave me some medicine earlier to help with the pain." Her side has since stopped throbbing, and the injury was hardly noticeable.

He nodded in understanding. "That's good. So it's okay if I do this, then." He pulled her onto the bed with him, being gentle as he drew her close.

Hinata eagerly cuddled against his chest as they lay down together, closing her eyes with a content sigh. She had never felt happier or more at ease.

Naruto kissed her forehead, trying not to hurt her as he held her close to his body. "Yeah, your dad is going to have to fight me if he wants you to return to the compound," he teased her with a grin. "You're mine and I'm not letting you leave."

Hinata smiled. "I'll be sure to let him know when he gets back."

"I just don't want you to go." He continued to run his fingers through her hair. "You keep running off."

"S-sorry," she replied sheepishly. "It won't happen again."

Naruto chuckled softly. "Well, I'm supposed to be the reckless one."

"You are," she assured him.

"True," he agreed. "But I'm just glad that you're okay."

"Thanks to you." She snuggled against him. "So...what happens now? I mean...well, the search is no longer necessary and..."

Naruto smirked. "Well, as far as everyone knows, Sasuke and I found those bastards and we took care of them. Besides Kakashi-sensei, Baa-chan, and Sakura, no one else knows that you went with us. We're just going to tell everyone that Sakura stayed at my apartment with you while Sasuke and I took care of things. It's better that way. Not only that but your dad won't try to kill me for bringing you along. It's a good thing that we came back before everyone was up for the day. And we had a bunch of people with us, so that would've been a pain in the ass to explain..."

"I didn't even know that my father had left the village last night. We're lucky that he left much sooner than we did, or we could've run into him at some point," she remarked.

"Yeah, that wouldn't have gone over well... But it's over and now I don't have to worry about any more psychos trying to steal my girlfriend." Naruto shifted and leaned down to kiss her again, taking special care not to put too much pressure on her side. He brushed his lips against hers, his blue eyes gazing into her lavender ones. "It looks like I'm going do have to wait," he remarked with a half-smile.

Hinata looked up at him with confusion, now lying on her back. "Wait for what?"

"Do you remember what I promised you before we left for the mission?" he asked, that smirk still on his face.

Hinata blushed from his flirtatious tone. "I...um..." She was at a loss for words, unable to concentrate as he continued to stare at her.

He grinned deviously and bent down so that his lips brushed up against her ear. "I told you that when we got back, you're mine," he growled.

Hinata's face turned an even darker shade of red, her heart beating a mile per minute. She was speechless as he gave her earlobe a small lick, ready to faint as he nipped at her playfully.

"I also said that you wouldn't be able to walk by the time I was finished with you," he whispered sensually, nearly causing the poor girl to have a heart attack. "But don't worry...I promise that I'll be gentle." He took a moment to gaze down at her stunned expression, then let out an amused laugh. "Hinata, you're just way too adorable. You know that, right? I'm not going to do anything to you because I know that you need to take it easy. Plus I don't want to accidentally re-break your rib..."

To his surprise, Hinata shyly reached to to touch his face, her delicate hands on his cheeks. She gently pulled him down to kiss him softly, and Naruto eagerly returned the gesture. The blond felt the crotch of his pant tighten, well aware of her breasts pressing against his chest.

"Look what you do to me," he groaned. "How am I supposed to behave myself when you act all cute like that?"

Hinata smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Naruto-kun."

He continued to pout. "Mm, it's not fair. I could always go easy on you, ya know. Go nice and slow..." He began to slide her shirt up, glancing down at her flat stomach once it was exposed. There was still a bruise on her rib cage, but it was much less severe than before. His fingertips gently brushed over the area, careful not to apply to much pressure. Naruto gazed at the bruise for a moment, then moved down to get closer to it. He lowered his lips and kissed the tender skin, causing her to shiver. "Are you okay?" he quickly asked with worry. "Did I hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun. It really doesn't hurt," she told him, her eyes closing as she smiled. "It actually feels pretty nice..."

The blond smirked and pulled her shirt up even further, his gaze fixated on her chest. His fingers traced along the cups of her white lacy bra, and he cupped her breasts, feeling the soft mounds in his hands. Self-control was clearly not one of his strong points at the moment. Then again, it normally wasn't in the first place.

Unlike the first time they had gotten intimate, Hinata wasn't as tense or anxious. Naruto was normally rather clumsy, but he had shown that he could be smooth and gentle with her. Hinata opened her eyes and stared up at him, blushing a bit. She still felt a little shy, but she found herself reaching up to unzip his jacket.

Naruto's blue eyes were hooded with lust, unable to contain his desire. He sat up a bit to let her unzip his jacket, pulling it off and tossing it carelessly onto the floor. His t-shirt was on the floor next to it only seconds later, leaving him bare-chested. He had settled in between her legs, the bulge in his pants pressed against her. "Hinata...I don't think I'll be able to stop myself," he said huskily as his hand brushed over her breast again.

Hinata wrapped her arms around his neck, compelling him to lean down close to her. "What if I don't want you to?" she murmured, feeling a needy ache in her nether regions.

Unable to hold back, Naruto kissed her deeply, his fingers entangling in her hair as his erection continued to throb. He knew that he probably shouldn't, but he couldn't help it. Hinata seemed to be feeling the same way, and neither of them had any intention of stopping.

Within seconds, their clothes wound up on the floor in a pile near the rest of Naruto's discarded clothing. Hinata was on her hands and knees on his bed, with the blond ninja positioning himself behind her. His cock prodded at her wet entrance, while he reached around to grope her chest. He kissed her ear, nibbling on the earlobe for a moment. The action caused Hinata to shudder in delight, moaning softly as he teased one of her sweet spots. She gasped when he slipped inside of her, and then felt him grab onto her hips.

Naruto thrust his hips back and forth, getting more and more turned on as he heard the pleasured sounds coming from her. His fingers gripped her hips, holding her in place as he kept up with the thrusting.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata could feel his balls slapping against her while he continued with the momentum. She looked over her shoulder to meet his gaze, her lavender eyes locking with his blue ones. Panting heavily, her hands clutched his comforter. She cried out in ecstasy from a particularly harsh thrust, causing her breasts to bounce.

Naruto greedily reached for her breast, his other hand still holding onto her hip. He pinched her nipple, snickering when she squeaked and threw her head back. Naruto brought his lips to her neck, kissing it softly before nipping at it with his teeth. As much as he needed to cum, he really wanted to take his time with her. It was difficult, though, as her walls tightened around his throbbing manhood the longer he went.

Hinata was confused for a moment as Naruto stopped and pulled out of her, and she began to turn her head to look back at him questioningly. She suddenly found herself on her back with him sliding into her once more.

Naruto grabbed both of her wrists in one hand and held them in place above her head, pinning her down on the bed. His free hand found its way to her breast once more, and he rammed into her faster than before. He leaned down and kissed her, savoring the sweetness of her lips.

Hinata moaned into the kiss, her eyes closing as he continued to thrust deep within her, feeling herself getting closer and closer. She writhed on the mattress beneath him, trapped in place as he kept his hold on her wrists. Although she was too shy and embarrassed to admit it, she couldn't help but love this rough side of Naruto.

Their naked bodies glistened with sweat as they ground against each other. Naruto ceased the groping and proceeded to wrap an arm around her waist. They feverishly kissed each other, and the blond could tell that he wouldn't be able to stave off his orgasm for much longer. He released her wrists and held her tightly against him. Naruto let out a pleasured groan as her walls hugged his pulsating cock, chipping away at the last of his resistance.

Hinata opened her eyes to stare up into his, and she let out a silent scream as he slammed into her. She grabbed onto his broad shoulders, her nails digging into him. Naruto didn't seem to mind; if anything, it further fueled his arousal. "Naruto-kun... I..." She cried out and buried her face against his chest as she finally reached her peak.

"Shit..." Naruto hissed, feeling the intensity of her orgasm as she gripped his member and soaked it in her juices. "Fuck...Hinata...!" He grunted and squeezed his eyes shut as he came hard. All of that build-up pressure was released, and he felt Hinata cling to him as he filled her with his seed.

The indigo-haired girl panted heavily, her body trembling under Naruto's until he had emptied himself completely. Moments later, the jinchuriki drew back, breathing rapidly as well. He smiled and reached down to caress her cheek for a few seconds, before suddenly becoming alarmed. "Oh, crap! Your ribs!" He quickly got off of her, a fearful expression on his face as he went to check on the area.

"Naruto-kun, I'm fine," Hinata calmly assured him as his fingers gingerly touched her. "You didn't hurt me."

"Are you sure?" He didn't look quite convinced. "I went pretty rough on you, even though I shouldn't have. I'm such an idiot..."

She sat up next to him and smiled. "I'm okay, so please don't worry. Besides..." A blush appeared on her face as she dropped her gaze, snuggling against his arm. "I...I really liked it..."

Naruto looked at her with astonishment for a moment, then broke out into a grin. "Oh, really? So you like it rough then, huh?"

Her blush deepened, but she gave a small nod without looking up at him. She knew that they should've been more careful with her condition, but nothing else seemed to have mattered to them while they had made love. Not only that, but her injury hadn't even been noticeable. She wondered if it was because of the medicine or the fact that her body was healing more quickly than she'd thought. Maybe it was a little of both.

"Ah, you're making me horny all over again," Naruto whined playfully as he pulled her into his arms. "But I think once is enough. For now at least..." He brought his lips to hers once more, cupping her face in his hands.

Hinata eagerly welcomed the kiss, shyly returning it with her own. Naruto gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, then stared deep into her eyes as they broke the kiss. "Let's go clean up," he remarked with a smile. "Besides, I'd rather shower with you than by myself."

It took a bit of self-restraint, but Naruto managed to behave himself as the two of them showered together. His eyes were glued to her gorgeous body the entire time, watching as rivulets of water trickled down her bare skin. He couldn't help but get hard all over again, especially when the water rinsed away the soap suds from her bountiful breasts. Hinata was far more discreet, taking only brief glances at his naked form as he also washed up.

Once the hot water began to run out, Naruto turned off the shower and got out, handing a towel to Hinata before wrapping another around his waist. "I notice how you're still able to walk, so I'm going to have to do something about that later," he teased as she stepped out of the tub.

Hugging the towel around her body, Hinata's face heated up all over again and turned bright red. Naruto snickered and kissed her softly before tugging her back into his bedroom. He gave her one of his t-shirts to wear, still unable to get over the fact of how cute she looked in it.

"So, Hinata, is there anything that you want to do today?" he asked her as they snuggled on the bed once more. "Now that you're not being chased by some psychotic bastard and his equally crazy followers."

Hinata sighed with content as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm happy just spending the day with you, Naruto-kun. Maybe we can go get some ramen-"

"Oh, that sounds like a good idea!" Naruto abruptly cut her off, his mouth watering.

She smiled, her hand resting on his chest. "So should we get dressed and go to Ichiraku's?"

"Mmm, maybe in a little while," he mused, stroking her long silky hair as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "For now, though, this is perfect."

 **So I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to end it, but I'm content with the result I suppose. If nothing else, at least the story is finally finished and I can move on with my life. I have my other story 'Side Effects' that I still have a few chapter left to write, but I have no plans for any multi-chaptered stories. And once that story has ended, I might take a week or two off from writing before beginning my Naruhina lemon compilation. Anyway, I hoped you were satisfied with the ending, and if not, sorry for the disappointment. ^_^**


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